Keeping it Clean

Feta-tastic, Egg, Veggie and Bacon Bites

2012-01-05T16:46:00.001-08:00

My friend David posted a video of an amazing looking recipe on my FB wall the other day and it involved bacon, of course. So, I decided to make some adjustments and make my own version and I was thrilled with the results! Paleo friendly and protein rich, these breadless bites made an excellent dinner with a side of fresh greens and some grapes.

Ingredients:

1 package of Maple flavored Bacon

six eggs with yolk, separated

1/2 cup feta and bleu cheese mix

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of oregano

crushed red pepper flakes

pureed avocado

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

crushed garlic

1/3 cup diced onion

Directions:

1. Cook bacon – but not too crispy

2. Wrap bacon around cupcake pan and place a small piece of bacon in the bottom of each cupcake tin.

3. Combine egg whites with garlic, onion, tomatoes, salt and pepper.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup of the mixture into each tin.

5. Top each cupcake with egg yolk. Top egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture.

6. Season with oregano to taste.

7. Once cooled, add avocado to the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Tom Tom Turkey Meatballs (and Turkey Bacon) and Spaghetti Squash!

2011-12-27T13:28:00.001-08:00

When it comes to meats, one of my favorites is bacon! I eat a lot of bacon – mostly low sodium turkey but some of the real stuff from time to time as well. I'm known, actually, for my love affair with bacon.

That being said, last night I tried something new. I handmade turkey meatballs and marinated the meatballs in a sugar free tomato sauce with bacon. I added 1/4 cup organic garden vegetable baby food. Instead of spaghetti, I made a spaghetti squash and seasoned it with extra virgin olive oil, a touch of ground black pepper, and sea salt.

For the spaghetti squash, half it, cut out the center with seeds and bake upside down on a cookie tray with 1/4 cup water for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Once it cools use a fork to scrape out the “pasta” and season with salt and a touch of olive oil.

It made quite a delicious alternative and the smoky bacon (I cooked on the grill for extra flavor) really added something special. My turkey meatballs are a piece of cake I get the lean ground turkey and grind up walnuts or cashews, about 1/2 cup per pound. I used 5 eggs, 2 grated yellow onions, two tablespoons of crushed garlic, and a shaved carrot for the meatballs and then I cooked them on the stove.

The sauce was sugar free no salt added tomato in a can. I put the 6 bacon slices, the sauce, the baby food, and the cooked meatballs in a crock pot for two hours of slow cooking. The flavor was incredible.

How to Manage Thanksgiving

2011-11-28T10:08:00.001-08:00

by Dan Campolieta with contributions from Lorraine Fender-Chiarizzio

I have amazing and smart friends and here is my buddy Dan’s tips for making it out of the holidays alive! Okay so Thanksgiving has come and gone and like you I am excited for all the yummy food of the holiday season. BUT sometimes that excitement can lead to you feeling the stuff bird you just ate! Do you savor the taste of all the great food, enjoy the company and appreciate the day for what it is? Or do you just eat to the point where you wished you wore pants with an elastic band? So here are a few tips to not feel like a stuffed turkey!

1. Exercise first in the morning, even if it's a brisk walk, bring the family. Some say because it's a holiday it needs to be a day off of exercise, if anything that is more reason to get a workout in! We can probably assume you will be consuming a good amount of carbs (some not so good but that's okay it's Turkey Day!) so all the more reason to get that metabolism fired up and ready to burn! Anyone running a Turkey Trot?

2. DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST!!!!! Many people do this...maybe you figured you didn't need the extra calories...WRONG! Breakfast gets the metabolism cooking...it means "break the fast". Have some protein like eggs/egg whites with some veggies. The protein will keep you fuller longer so you aren't starving when all the goodies hit the table.

3. WATER, WATER, WATER!!! You probably can figure this one out, it will help fill your belly so you eat a bit less and helps with all the extra sodium you are probably going to get with some of the food being served.

4. Bring a veggie tray with you as an appetizer if you don't think they have one. Raw veggies are great for snacking and will prevent you from overeating. Make your own veggie dip with a light sour cream or buy a healthier version and put in a unmarked container, I bet no one will even know they are eating a healthier version of dip!

5. DECIDE...are you going to fill your plate once with everything you want or are you hitting it like it's an all you can eat buffet? Let's think here, most of the time you go back for seconds within minutes of finishing plate #1, give yourself 15-20min, I bet you won't feel like re-filling. Plus if you DECIDED to not want to feel like a stuffed turkey then that's it, DECISION made, one plate full of all you want and that's it until dessert. You will feel proud of yourself and physically feel better!

6. Food choices...opt for white meat not dark. Keep an eye on the starchy carbs and how much. Throw extra white meat on your plate and less buttery mashed potatoes, candied sweet potato, stuffing, and rolls. Oh and gravy...keep to a minimum, try having it on the side and dip your fork in it with each bite rather than pouring it on.

7. PAY ATTENTION...what I mean is take your time chewing, savor the flavors, appreciate what you're eating, be grateful and enjoy your company and the day itself, don't make it ALL about FOOD!

8. Drink water with your wine or if you are having some other alcoholic beverage. It helps slow down the buzz you might get which could lead to uncontrolled eating, can help avoid hangover headaches and it will keep you hydrated as alcohol is a diuretic.

9. Okay, chow time is over, don't head for the recliner! See who is willing to take a stroll with you, get out and feel great about the day. If it's yucky out then help clean up, stay occupied and don't pick, those picks ADD UP. Just do something!

10. Ahhh leftovers...that doesn't mean an entire Thanksgiving dinner all over again...enough said :-)

Hope that helps, Happy Thanksgiving!

[Editor’s Note: Dan Campolieta aka Dan Camp is a certified STRIDE Instructor and a certified Sports Nutrition Consultant who has raced with Spartan in Staten Island. Dan Camp’s posts from http://fitasylum.com/ will regularly be making an appearance on the Spartan Blog.]

Taylor Tot’s King Cali Sushi Bowl

2011-09-28T12:49:00.001-07:00

I am obsessed with sushi. Like… obsessed. The other member of my household who is equally obsessed with sushi is my daughter, Taylor, who is nine. She loves albacore sashimi but her favorite roll is the King Cali and we make our own rice free version at home! If you’re Paleo, there is Greek Yogurt so depending on how strict you are, you can simply eliminate any ingredients that you don’t eat.

Paired with some miso soup or a salad with ginger dressing it’s an amazing, healthy and flavorful dinner. We snack on carrot sticks and Edamame while we make it! Did I mention it takes 15 minutes to prepare?

Ingredients

1/2 cup flaked cooked crabmeat
1/2 cup cooked small shrimp
2 tablespoons peeled and diced cucumber
1 tablespoon nonfat organic Greek Yogurt
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
dash of lemon juice
1 avocado

Directions

In a bowl, mix the crab, shrimp, cucumber, Greek yogurt, and lemon juice. Season with salt, and pepper. Cover, and chill for at least an hour.
Slice the avocados and remove the pit.. With a spoon, remove the flesh leaving a large space for the filling. Fill the centers with the mix from the fridge. Serve immediately.
Amount Per Serving Calories: 220 | Total Fat: 18.1g

Re-defining Sunday Dinner

2011-08-21T13:27:00.001-07:00

My kids are used to my cooking habits. Lots of lean protein, leafy, dark greens, vegetables, whole wheat grains, and healthy fats.
For dinner tonight, we’re changing up a traditional Sunday night pasta fest. My girls aren’t huge fans of pasta sauce so I improvise with tomatoes and sweet onions sautéed with lean ground turkey, spinach leaves, and baby food. What? Baby food? Yes, I use it all the time! For pastas you can use any vegetables without altering the flavor. I use Organic Garden Veggie or Carrots, Peas, Green beans. Baby food adds a highly nutrient dense serving of vegetables so you are maximizing your meal and still enjoying your favorite dishes.

Taylor, my nine-year-old daughter always helps with these meals.
For pasta, we are baking Spaghetti Squash that I season with basil, sea salt, pepper, and chives. I don’t use butter in any of my cooking and the savory spaghetti squash doesn’t need it! If you’ve never used spaghetti squash as a pasta, just halve one, de-seed it, place it in 1/2 inch water in a baking pan and bake for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. Once baked, scrape the contents out with a fork. It flakes out easily and looks just like angel hair pasta. Sautee with fresh ingredients and serve with the pasta.
Our side is sweet potatoes and fresh fruit. For dessert, we are having strawberries and frozen bananas sprinkled with a touch of unsweetened cocoa and honey!
Sunday dinner delicious and kid friendly!

My FAVORITE Summer Salad

2011-08-12T14:52:00.001-07:00

Summer time brings rising temperatures, seasonal fruits and veggies, and lots of outdoor time leaving time spent in the kitchen a last priority! My absolute favorite (and easy) summer salad includes some seasonal berries, nuts, and an awesome poppy seed dressing! I have had one every night this week!
Summer Berry Nut Salad
4 cups spinach
Fat-Free Poppy Seed Dressing to Taste
1 cup Chopped berries (blue berries, strawberries, blackberries)
3/4 cup Fresh diced pineapple
1/4 cup Feta Cheese
Two grilled chicken breast, cubed
1/4 cup Chopped Walnuts
Combine all ingredients and toss
Serves two

Nutrition when Preparing for an Ironman

2011-07-22T15:12:00.001-07:00

Some of our readers are triathletes and the ultimate in the sport for many is the Ironman. Nutrition can play a big part of how you manage your calories and how you maintain energy, fat stores, fuel, and hydration. So here’s a good plan for two weeks out if you want to keep with your Glycemic Index and get your body ready for race day. In our next post, we’ll cover actual race nutrition. Here’s how you can get to the start line.
The Next Two Weeks: The Glycemic Index is your new best friend
Basics:
· No alcohol
· Incorporate as much raw food as possible
· Avoid/eliminate dairy
· 3 L of water a day
· 5 smaller meals a day
· Your food should come from the Low/Medium Glycemic Index. Avoid *high in empty calories * Strive for more *low-calorie and nutritious foods* on the lists below.
· Low - http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/lowglycemicfoodlist.htm
· Medium - http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/mediumglycemicfoodslist.htm

Supplements:
Take every day:
· Multi-vitamin
· Fish Oil
· Antioxidants
If you experience heartburn, then try to take them at varying times of day and with meal.

Day Before Race
· Eat a large breakfast with an emphasis on moderate to low glycemic index carbohydrates
· Eat a large lunch when next hungry, again emphasizing moderate-low GI foods.
· Have a moderately sized dinner that is “normal” food for you but limit how much fiber you eat. Moderate to low GI foods.
· Stay well hydrated throughout the day.
· Extra salt on your food.
Race Day Breakfast (based on 180 lb. male)

Take in 1000-1500 calories from moderate to low glycemic index foods 4 to 5 hours prior to the start.
For nervous stomach use liquid or semi-solid foods.
Options may include Ensure, Ultracal, or Boost (approx. 250 Cal/8-ounce can); 1 medium banana (105 Cal); bagel with 1 tablespoon nut butter (250 Cal); 1 cup unsweetened applesauce mixed with 1 ounce protein powder (200 Cal); 1 jar baby food (100-200 Cal); 1 packet instant oatmeal (100-200 Cal); 1 cup instant pudding (100-300 Cal); 1 can tomato soup (200 Cal).
Example: 4 cans of Ensure, banana, bagel with nut butter (1350 Cal).

Pre-Race

Light foods = 200 Calories/hour in the last 3 hours. Stay with liquid or semi-solid foods.
1-1.5 hours before—eat something such as a sports bar and sports drink. Take your Endurolytes.
Eat/drink nothing in the last hour except water (prevents exercise-induced hypoglycemia early in race).
10 minutes before—take in as much sports drink as you feel comfortable with.

Next up well talk about race day and how to use nutrition to optimize performance on race day.

Core 4: Your Solid Foundation

2011-06-28T17:56:00.001-07:00

Now is the time to get fit and healthy, and, with Max Muscle’s Core 4 program, it’s easier than ever.

I am a supplement fan. Always have been! It’s so critical to fuel your body and keep vitamins and minerals flowing so that you are performing at optimal levels. My friend Matt is an expert and a nutritionist and he works for Max Muscle where I get all my supplements.
Essential for life are each of the components of Max Muscle Sports Nutrition’s Core 4. A person could actually survive on nothing but the Core 4 which, although we don’t recommend trying, is another example of the power of getting these nutrients into your diet now. How many of you can actually say that you know you are getting the optimal amounts of vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids from your diet? How many go through the day without thinking about how protein may affect your mood, food cravings and energy levels? And, how many don’t realize that they may achieve more health benefits by simply taking glutamine every day than by taking many prescription medications that mask illnesses rather than ever begin to fix them? The Core 4 is simple to incorporate into your life. It starts with high quality, properly synthesized products that contain vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, glutamine and protein. Visit your local Max Muscle Sports Nutrition store today to make sure you are using only the highest quality supplements available. It’s time to build your solid foundation for life!

Vitamins and MineralsVitamins and minerals play essential roles in most metabolic processes in our body. They act as anti-oxidants, co-enzymes and catalysts, playing roles in a number of chemical reactions. Most of us know that it is crucial to get enough of these micro-nutrients in our diet but most don’t know if they really are getting enough. Taking a high quality supplement will help to provide the nutrients we may be lacking.
VitaminsVitamin C is present in every cell of the body. It provides antioxidant protection by neutralizing free radicals. Vitamin C can regenerate Vitamin E and is also important in collagen synthesis, carnitine synthesis, immune function energy metabolism, and many other important functions in the body. Vitamin C is water soluble and may be lost from the body at higher volumes during times of stress, so be sure to eat plenty of foods high in vitamin C as well as supplement each day and after exercise.
B vitamins are important for energy, metabolic functions, red blood cell formation and division, insulin sensitivity, detoxification, mood enhancement, as well as many other critical processes. B complex vitamin supplementation has been recommended to help with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), insulin sensitivity, alcohol addiction, depression and high blood pressure. Women of child-bearing age should take folic acid daily, and Niacin (B-3) is being used to help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and to increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels. A quality multi-vitamin will have an appropriate balance of the B vitamins.
Fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K. These vitamins are stored in fat tissues in our body. Vitamin A’s primary functions relate to eye health, immune function, bone development, growth, reproduction and detoxification. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and is important for healthy cell membranes and for a healthy circulatory system. Vitamin K aids in the formation of blood clotting factors and bone proteins.
Much attention has been brought to vitamin D recently because so many Americans have been found to have a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is critical for bone health. It helps the absorption of calcium and regulates proper levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. Vitamin D is important for immune support, strength and new research is showing it reduces the risk of many forms of cancer. This vitamin is highly recommended for individuals with conditions that range from Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, infertility, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, liver disease and others.
MineralsMinerals play critical roles in a number of reactions in the body and must be obtained through our diet since our body cannot synthesize them. Despite the fact that we Americans typically eat a lot of food, mineral deficiencies still exist. Some important roles of minerals:
*Calcium maintains bone strength and structure
*Iron transports blood to the muscles
*Sodium helps to control water balance
*Magnesium is necessary for muscle relaxation, neuromuscular activity, protein synthesis, fat synthesis and energy production
*Zinc is critical to immune function
*Manganese helps with carbohydrate metabolism, bone development, protein digestion, collagen formation, protein synthesis (and more)
It is important to note that large quantities of minerals should not be supplemented. Consumption of high amounts of one mineral, can inhibit absorption of another, for example, high consumption of zinc can impair copper absorption. Both major and trace minerals are needed in very small amounts by the body and a good supplement should provide enough for optimal health.
Essential Fatty AcidsSupplementing with essential fatty acids can be life changing. The benefits we get from fish oil, which is an omega-3 essential fatty acid containing EPA and DHA, are vast. Omega-3’s reduce inflammation, improve brain function, provide immune support, strengthen the vascular system, and aid in fat burning. Fish oil is suggested for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and for women who experience pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS.)
Omega-3 Plus is a pharmaceutical-grade fish oil supplement you can find at any Max Muscle and offers 1 gram of fish oil per soft gel. Take two to six Omega-3 Plus soft gels per day to make sure you are getting optimal amounts of EPA and DHA. For those who cannot have fish oil, try Max EFA’s. Max EFA’s provide a combination of omega 3, 6 and 9 by offering flax seed oil, wheat germ oil, evening primrose oil, conjugated linoleic acid and borage seed oil.
GlutamineGlutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the blood and in muscles. It stimulates the synthesis and inhibits the degradation of proteins. Glutamine is a carrier of nitrogen and has been called the “nitrogen shuttle.” Research suggests that glutamine, when taken post exercise, stimulates glycogen re-synthesis. Many people who exercise or train frequently and do not take glutamine post exercise have shown to have low plasma levels of glutamine. Several hours of recovery are required before normal plasma levels are restored and if not fully restored before your next training session, can lead to over training.
Other types of metabolic stress such as illness, inflammation, injury, infection and surgery, can deplete glutamine reserves, which is why glutamine is considered a conditionally essential amino acid and must be obtained from the diet. Glutamine works synergistically with insulin to hydrate the cells, which makes supplementing with glutamine and carbohydrate immediately after exercise critical. Oral glutamine supplementation has been shown to be very safe and well tolerated. Take a minimum of 5 grams of glutamine post exercise. It is also recommended to take throughout the day and before bed.
ProteinThe human body contains thousands of different types of protein, each performing important functions. Protein consumption through our diet is critical to life, and although Americans consume an average of 100 grams per day, assuming that our diets contain enough protein would not be necessarily correct. When we talk about getting enough protein in our diets, what we should really stress is getting the right protein in our diets. It is not the protein that operates at the functional level in our body, but rather the amino acids we get from the protein, which means knowing what type of protein is best given your goals and needs is extremely important.
Whey protein is an excellent source of glutamine, glycine and the branched-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine.) Whey protein transits the stomach quickly for fast absorption by the intestines making it ideal to consume post exercise to speed recovery. Rich amounts of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant, are contained in whey protein. Glutathione is involved heavily in metabolic detoxification and levels of glutathione have shown to decrease with exercise. Peptides from whey protein have also shown to enhance the activity of our immune system.
Casein protein comprises 80 percent of the protein found in milk and does not clear the stomach as fast as whey protein. It is a slower digesting protein, often referred to as a “time-released” protein, making it a good choice to add to whey protein or to consume prior to bedtime when our bodies are in a fasting state.
Soy protein is a plant protein and contains adequate quantities of the essential amino acids histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, tryptophan, valine, phenylalanine and tyrosine. Soy has a high protein efficiency ratio (PER), and has shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels, making it a great choice for a protein supplement.
Egg white protein is another popular choice for protein supplementation and is also a slower digesting protein. Egg white protein contains all of the essential amino acids and is often the standard used for measuring the protein quality of other foods. Other benefits of protein include:
*Appetite suppression through secretion of hormones that promote satiety
*Increased energy levels by stabilizing blood sugar
*Recovery from exercise by promoting protein synthesis
Recommended intakes of protein will vary for most people. Athletes and very active people, who consume higher amounts of calories than the average person, are advised to consume higher amounts of protein, approximately 1.0 to 1.7 grams per kilogram of body weight. Many athletes, especially strength athletes, will consume even higher amounts.

Quinoa Stir-Fry

2011-04-27T23:22:00.000-07:00

I had to make a quick meal tonight and I have stopped buying brown rice until I get through my bad of Quinoa and to be honest, I’m not sure I am even going to buy the brown rice anymore given all the benefits of quinoa. I made a simple and delicious stir fry tonight that is gluten free and if you substitute tofu for the chicken I used you have a nice vegetarian dinner as well for those of you who eat that way. These servings are really good size! Lots of quality food, high protein, and very few calories.
Quinoa Stir-fry (two servings)
Prepare 1/4 cup dry Quinoa – yields about 4 cups (you’ll need one cup for this recipe)
Cut up 8 ounces of chicken into cubes (tofu works here)
2 cups mixed vegetables (I used carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli)
2 TBSP reduced sodium soy sauce
Combine ingredients in your pan. Heat through and enjoy!
Nutrition per serving: Calories: 235 Fat: 2 Carbohydrates: 21 Protein:31 Fiber: 4

Endurance Running and Nutrition

2011-04-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

This Sunday I, alongside several of my running Family members are running full and half marathons in Lincoln. Nutrition is an often overlooked piece of the equation. Preparation in your nutriton as well as you training helps ensure a successful race day! A few weeks before your event, work as many raw veggies into your diet as you can. This helps clear out your intestinal walls of build up so you can effectively absorb the good stuff when you really need it without having to go through a wall of garbage first. Additionally, you want to eliminate dairy from your diet to avoid excess mucous build-up which can interfere with effective respiration while you run.

On race day you have to start off right and consume the right amount of fluid and glycogen (sugar) stores that you will just maintain as you race. I always tell people that you want to be done eating two hours before your event. That’s a tough time limit when your event starts at 7 AM. Get to bed early so you can get up and get prepared. Everyone swears by a different pre-race meal and I’ve heard everything from Captain Crunch to oatmeal. I use my food processor and mix dry oatmeal, flax seed, half a banana, hemp protein powder, chia seeds, spinach, a touch of honey, and orange juice. I’ll usually have a piece of live grain toast with this and water.

Additionally, your body burns through your glycogen stores at about two hours of strenuous activity so you’ll want to refuel about every 60—90 minutes to avoid the crash. Four-one carbs to protein is generally a good combination because you need to maintain the glycogen stores you are burning through with the carbs and the protein additive protects your muscles from being used as a back-up fuel source and stays in your system longer. So, if you are running a marathon, you’ll need 4 or 5 refueling sources because ideally you’ll be eating about every 6 – 8 miles depending on your pace and it never hurts to have an extra or two.

There are a lot of race energy sources—gels, Clif Shot blocks, energy drinks, powders you add to drinks, Sport Beans. There are caffeinated and non-caffeinated versions. For me, a little caffeine is a great boost to my waning energy levels so I go for the caffeine! I don’t like really sweet flavors and you don’t want a bad reaction on race day so do a taste test on a long run to see how they work for you. I like simple—gels work well for me but I also like to have some branch chains during the race mixed in with my water to aid in my active recovery while I run and my recovery when I’m done.

Eat when you need it, if you are starting to feel like your energy is dropping pop some nutrition. Your body can recover glycogen stores within 15 minutes so you’ll recover fast if you stay ahead of the curve. Hydration is also different for everyone, but there are some basic rules of thumb. I like to drink a good 16—20 ounces of water an hour before race time so it’s not sloshing in my stomach. It ensures that your tissues are well hydrated but your stomach is empty. When it comes to water, take water along the route as you need it but don’t wait too long and don’t feel compelled to drink if you aren’t very thirsty. Or if you do, just take a few sips. You may not need water every time especially if it’s cooler out or a shorter course. A good nutrition plan leading up to an event and maintained throughout a race goes a long way in building and maintaining energy stores that can ultimately help your performance, endurance, and recovery on race day. It’s one piece of your training program that with a little investment and preparation can yield major results.

New Blogging Beginnings...

2011-04-25T00:16:00.001-07:00

You've probably noticed my site had a little face lift over the weekend. I have decided to split up my blog into two distinct spaces. Keeping it Clean is retaining it's url - so you can still find that blog here at http://www.keepingitclean.org/. The site will be 100% dedicated to clean-eating, recipes, and nutrition. I've migrated all my recipe and past nutrition and food oriented content here so it can still be accessed. This way the content is focused and specific. I hope you find your way here for all things clean-eating, food, recipes, and the fun we have in my kitchen! Keeping it clean is also on FB and YouTube.

Leaving a Path, is where I'll be talking about my training, my life, and the things that make me laugh, the things that motivate and inspire me as a mother, a woman, an athlete, and a human being. The url for this space is quite simply http://www.leavingapath.com/. I hope you continue to visit that site to hear about my life and my adventures.

Additionally, my Racing Family The Mud Mafia is in the social stratosphere at http://www.themudmafia.blogspot.com/. Several individuals contribute to the content of that site and it's dedicated to my amazing racing family. The Mud Mafia is also on FB and Twitter.

You can also follow the clock blocking movement at http://www.clockblocking.com/. Again, a community contributes to that page where we are committed to getting clock blocking consciousness to the masses! Follow the progress on FB.

Feel free to email me with feedback. I am always so grateful hearing from you all.

Thanks for reading!

Carrie Adams

The Story...

2011-04-24T22:54:00.001-07:00

I write recipes that have stories. Stories that tell about what inspires the cooking, the meals, the foods I eat and feed my family and friends. They are like photographs for me capturing something and preserving it forever. It's important to me that the soul of the food is felt and that the people who inspire them are acknowledged. Whole, fresh, delicious ingredients are such a small part of the equation... the recipes are born in a moment in a story, in a relationship with the people I love in my life. That's why all my recipes have such crazy names - Catey Baby Berry Muffins, Kick you in the Face Pancakes, Lafawnduh Peanut Butter Cookie Balls, Houston's Honey Teriyaki Kabobs, Casey's No Pain Novocaine Chicken Chili...

My kitchen represents a warm, wonderful safe haven and retreat that nourishes not only myself, but the family and friends who grace my life. It has brought together so many people for so many meals and so many memories. This post is for all of you, because those times we've shared, those laughs, those moments are just as nourishing as the food and have given me perspective, joy, and most importantly purpose.

Thank you to my two beautiful daughters, my family, and my friends for being there, for being YOU, really just for being... I do this for you.

Cravings and Cavemen

2011-04-21T22:45:00.000-07:00

I had an interesting conversation with one of my best friends tonight about cravings and foods. Everyone has those foods that act just like Kryptonite for even the strongest and most committed among us. For my friend Matt (who rocks a wicked six pack by the way) it's donuts, for my friend Casey it's salty chips, my friend Kim it's chocolate, and for me it's my mom's cookies... there is something about certain foods we just can't seem to resist. Well, what does science have to say about that? The truth is that everyone has cravings. Sometimes they are easily dismissed and other times they can be all consuming and suddenly a new jar of peanut butter is is half gone before we've tasted a thing and we're left wondering how it happened! I call it "black out eating." It's happened to us all.

The sad thing is, we are designed to crave them and when we cave to the cravings it leaves lasting effects. How can these cravings be so intense? Well, it's in our survival instincts. Long before we had supermarkets on every corner our bodies were in constant conversation with us. When there was a lack of food for our ancestors the nutrients needed to survive were craved with ferocity and with such intensity that fatty, high calorie foods were the immediate and most appealing choice. They offered the best chance at survival. That part of our brain makes us believe that kind of thinking is "right." That releases chemicals just as powerful as endorphins - dopamine, which we associate with pleasure and that provides just enough reason to keep eating when we are not physically in need of calories. In addition, after the first few bites of high fat, high glycemic foods, our taste buds can no longer process the flavor or taste properly so the pleasure we are getting from the food is ALL mental. Realistically, a bite or two is all you would need to be physically satisfied. It's our brain that wants more.

Women are at a further disadvantage. Nature provides women with the additional physiological burden of worrying about eating for two at various times in our lives if/when we are pregnant so women are inherently more susceptible to experiencing these kinds of cravings. Survival instinct. It was critical when food sources were scarce, but now, in an age where Krispy Kreme's adorn every corner it's a problem.

Brain Chemistry
If you've ever been awake at 2 AM you've seen the commercials for weight loss pills, shakes, powders that are designed to kill your physical hunger sensation. Perfect, right? Wrong. They are highly ineffective, especially in the long term. Why? They kill our physiological urges to seek out food... Because the urges that lead to binge eating don't originate from actual hunger... it's coming from your brain instead. The pills, powders, drinks, aren't able to target that. Additionally, when we cave and let the cravings consume us there is additional damage being done. Why? Because in nature sugar and fat don't come packaged naturally together. Fruit has sugar, but very little fat. Steak has fat, but very little sugar. But in an age of processed foods, those combinations is the norm and it sends our body into a tailspin. The bottom line is that processed foods offer fat, sugar, and salt in high quantities and unnatureal combinations along wtih caffeine and a variety of chemically engineered flavor enhancers and sweeteners. This amps up your brain's response to what you are consuming, leading to cravings.

Not only that, but the sugar, salt, and fat used in processed foods are more intense than their natural equivalents. Highly refined sugar hits the bloodstream faster than the sugar in unrefined whole foods, which means that the resulting endorphin-fueled high is increased and kicks in almost immediately but is difficult to sustain, prompting us to eat more. Case in point: A large banana has roughly the same amount of sugar -- 17 grams -- as a chocolate-glazed doughnut. I know people who can eat half a dozen donuts without breaking a sweat but would never eat six bananas in one sitting. What does this tell us?

Get back to the basics. The whole foods you eat in a clean eating diet are harder to digest. Have you ever eaten a carrot without quite a bit of chewing and effort? That's not exactly the same for a Pop Tart or a handful of Doritos. Foods with little fiber but lots of fat digest faster, make our sugars crash faster, create more fat and that gap creates opportunities for your body to eat away at precious muscle to make up the difference.

Studies have proven that the brain is effected when we eat foods that give us pleasure, and it's not about being hungry. It's about being dependent on the sugar, fat, and salt for a chemical reaction. It's just as addictive as drugs and alcohol. If you've ever been hungover, you know the outcomes... well, processed food overindulgence gives you an over stimulation and can even create an effect where you are hungrier than normal for hours, even DAYS afterwards as you go through withdrawal. Here is where I get kinda strict... that little "cheat" cookie or piece of cake you are having today is going to leave a mark. You'll be craving more of it for days...

The best defense is a good offense. If you take anything from all the posting I do about nutrition, try to limit sugar and salt intake and increase the whole foods in your diet. As you detox off of the processed foods, you'll crave them intensely. No two ways around it. Be prepared. The first time I walked into a Panera after going clean I almost had a heart attack. But once the shock and awe of that process is over (it takes a week or two) you won't find them happening as often or with the same level of intensity. When you begin to manage your sugar levels regularly with complex carbs, protein, and healthy fats combined and introduced to your system at the right intervals with meals and snacks you will find consistent levels of energy, no sudden crashes, or intense urges. So, when you hear the call of cookies, ice cream, cake, chips, pizza or pasta, take a deep breath... or twelve, make a HUGE green salad and let the feeling pass as you munch away...

Muscle vs. Fat

2011-04-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

Do you obsess over a number on the scale? Do you think that getting to a certain point on the scale will make you happy? The numbers game we play with ourselves is something I encourage people to move away from… if you want to follow a number, get your body fat percentage measured and use that as your true measure of success and use that as your barometer for health and overall well being.

Look at the picture on the left. That is a representation of five pounds of muscle and five pounds of fat. As you can see, the 5 lbs. of fat is much bulkier than the 5 lbs. of muscle, but five pounds is still five pounds. Muscle does not weigh more than fat. So because muscle is more dense than fat, the correct way to state the the comparison is, "Muscle is heavier by volume than fat."

Fat is bulky and lumpy so if you carry an extra five pounds of fat, you'll be lumpier than with five pounds more muscle. A five pound pile of fat will take up more space (volume) than a five pound pile of muscle; but five pounds is still five pounds. The quality of those five pounds is vastly different. Not to mention that muscle burns more calories, even at rest, so your muscle mass will help get and keep you lean. So protect your muscles when you work out by eating a combination of complex carbohydrates and protein before you work out (about 30 mins prior) and then insulate that with protein within 30 minutes post workout to keep the weight loss focused on your fat, not your muscle mass. Eating clean is a perfect way to accomplish this, check out a previous post to learn more.

So, what’s a good indicator of a healthy body fat percentage? Well, it varies depending on your lifestyle and your goals. Here is a good measurement:

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Body Fat Percentage Categories

Classification	Women (% fat)	Men (% fat)
Essential Fat	10-12%	2-4%
Athletes	14-20%	6-13%
Fitness	21-24%	14-17%
Acceptable	25-31%	18-25%
Obese	32%+	25%+

A woman weighing 150 pounds with 19% fat will look much smaller (and be much healthier) than a woman at 150 pounds with 35% fat. They weigh the same, yet the composition is different. Because muscle is more dense than fat the person with less fat and more muscle will look smaller. The focus for anyone looking to slim down needs to be on burning FAT, not on getting to a number on the scale that you think is “right” for you. So starving yourself to hit four or five pounds for the week is not only unhealthy, but it’s a short term loss and doesn’t benefit your overall goals or your calorie burning furnace - your metabolism. The bottom line is, if you lose more than 2 or 2.5 pounds a week after the first couple weeks you can pretty much guarantee that what you are losing above that number is NOT fat. If you want to get healthy, stay healthy and reap the benefits of losing the dangerous excess fat stores you have in your body, pay attention to your percentages not your pounds. So, why is knowing your body fat percentage so important? One, it will help you understand your body composition and help you set realistic goals and two, more importantly, because it has a direct correlation to your physical health in ways you may not even realize.

The Dangers of Fat

An estimated one in three Americans has some excess body fat; an estimated 20 percent are obese. Excess body fat is linked to major physical threats like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. (Three out of four Americans die of either heart disease or cancer each year; according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey, approximately 80 percent of those deaths are associated with life-style factors, including inactivity.)
For example, if you're obese, it takes more energy for you to breathe because your heart has to work harder to pump blood to the lungs and to the excess fat throughout the body. This increased work load can cause your heart to become enlarged and can result in high blood pressure and life-threatening erratic heartbeats.

Obese people also tend to have high cholesterol levels, making them more prone to arteriosclerosis, a narrowing of the arteries by deposits of plaque. This becomes life-threatening when blood vessels become so narrow or blocked that vital organs like the brain, heart or kidneys are deprived of blood. Additionally, the narrowing of the blood vessels forces the heart to pump harder, and blood pressure rises. High blood pressure itself poses several health risks, including heart attack, kidney failure, and stroke. About 25 percent of all heart and blood vessel problems are associated with obesity.

Clinical studies have found a relationship between excess body fat and the incidence of cancer. By itself, body fat is thought to be a storage place for carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) in both men and women. In women, excess body fat has been linked to a higher rate of breast and uterine cancer; in men, the threat comes from colon and prostate cancer.

There is also a delicate balance between blood sugar, body fat, and the hormone insulin. Excess blood sugar is stored in the liver and other vital organs; when the organs are "full," the excess blood sugar is converted to fat. As fat cells themselves become full, they tend to take in less blood sugar. In some obese people, the pancreas produces more and more insulin, which the body can't use, to regulate blood sugar levels, and the whole system becomes overwhelmed. This poor regulation of blood sugar and insulin results in diabetes, a disease with long-term consequences, including heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputation, and death. Excess body fat is also linked to gall bladder disease, gastro-intestinal disease, sexual dysfunction, osteoarthritiis, and stroke.

Reducing Body Fat Reduces Disease Risk

The good news is that reducing body fat reduces the risk of disease. At the University of Pittsburgh, researchers studied 159 people as they followed a weight management program. The subjects were under age 45 and 30-70 pounds overweight. Those subjects who were able to shed just 10-15 percent of their weight and keep it off during the 18-month study showed significant improvement in HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, waist-to-hip ratio, and blood pressure. In fact, according to the New England Journal of Medicine, body fat reduction is a more powerful modulator of cardiac structure than drug therapy. For people with a family history of heart disease, an active lifestyle can slow or stop the process for all but those with serious genetic disorders. Studies by Dean Ornish, MD, have shown that a comprehensive intervention program that includes regular physical activity, a low-fat diet and a stress reduction program can even reverse the heart disease process.

Evidence also shows that an active lifestyle and its help in reducing body fat is associated with a reduced risk for some types of cancers: prostate for men, breast and uterine cancers for women. (Frisch, et al 1985)
In addition, regular physical activity and a low-fat diet are successful in treating non-insulin dependent diabetes (NIDDM); for some patients, it has reduced or eliminated the need for insulin substitutes. In general, regularly active adults have 42 percent lower risk of developing NIDDM.

The Answer: Healthy Eating and Physical Fitness

But there is hope. Weight loss--of fat, not muscle--and a healthy and active lifestyle--not dieting--have been found to lower health risks and medical problems in 90 percent of overweight patients, improving their heart function, blood pressure, glucose tolerance, sleep disorders, and cholesterol levels, as well as lowering their requirements for medication, lowering the incidence and duration of hospitalization, and reducing post-operative complications eight times less likely to die from cancer than the unfit, and 53 percent less likely to die from other diseases. Fit people are also eight times less likely to die from heart disease.
So, are you willing to be patient and make gradual changes in your life that will lead to a healthier, happier you? Once you have made the decision to go forward and accept change, the hard part is over. Sure, there is plenty of work to be done, but it really doesn't matter how long this new process takes. If you allow changes to take place over several years, your body will adjust comfortably, and you will be more likely to maintain the healthy lifestyle permanently.

When you begin achieving improvements in energy and physical and psychological performance, the fun and excitement you experience will make the change well worth the effort. Action creates motivation!
* Be sure to check with your health care professional before making any changes in your activity or eating habits

Bracket Breaking March Madness Meatloaf

2011-03-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

The NCAA tournament this year has definitely lived up to it's title of March Madness. My favorite observation came from my running buddy and friend DanCamp who said, ‎26 = sum of the Final Four's seed numbers.

I have a few friends so devastated by their beloved team loss, (i.e. actual crocodile tears at the unexpected KU loss) I felt I needed to provide an uplifting comfort food recipe for their woes. Meatloaf is a common comfort food in my house. I won't play favorites now that my teams are out (Go VCU), I just want everyone to play well. I like to make this with a side of whipped cauliflower I prepare in my food processor like I would mashed potatoes. So throw the meatloaf together and enjoy a warm hearty meal watching the games!

Ingredients:
1 lb extra lean ground turkey or ground tofu for you vegetarians out there
1 medium yellow onion
2 roma tomatoes
1 Red Pepper
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 egg white
2 cup rolled oats (for gluten free folks) or 2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup skim milk
1/4 cup (one containers) Organic Garden Vegetable Baby Food
1/4 cup carrot or sweet potato Organic Baby food
2 TBSP Chia Seeds
2 TBSP homemade clean ketchup
dash sea salt
dash pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Process tomato, pepper, and onion until smooth.
3. Add all ingredients to bowl and mix well.
4 Place meat mixture into a baking dish with high sides. Pat mixture into a loaf. Cover the top with homemade ketchup. Cover dish with foil and place in preheated oven. Bake for about 50 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake until browned and center is completely cooked, 10 to 20 minutes. Let set for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

#27 The Fitness Tech Podcast: New Barbie – Recovering Carrie, Cookbooks, Clock Blocking and Long Runs

2011-03-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

Jim and I catch up about our weekend and my recent health issues... the cook book I am developing with Spartan Races and infamous CLOCK BLOCKING! Check us out! #27 The Fitness Tech Podcast: New Barbie – Recovering Carrie, Cookbooks, Clock Blocking and Long Runs

Food Processor-palooza

2011-03-24T23:00:00.000-07:00

There are two things I cannot live without in my kitchen: My food processor and my Bread Maker. *Sigh*
Because my love for these two items is so rich, I will split up my blog post into two so they each get their due attention. My food processor is one of the first things I bought in my house and I make home made salsas and dips, soups, and sauces in it all the time. Using a food processor allows you to incorporate a lot of ingredients to ensure a nutrient dense food with a lot of flavor.

Homemade Salsa

For example, steamed veggies like cauliflower, carrots and cucumbers to spinach, zucchini to Brussels sprouts can be combined variably by combining them with beans, tomatoes, fresh herbs, garlic, cashews, almonds, avocado and freshly squeezed orange/lime/lemon or cranberry juices. Add variety and flavor with fresh herbs and spices like cinnamon, sea salt, fresh ginger or chili powder. These combinations create a thick and hearty spread that I put on greens as a dressing, over pasta, potatoes or lean meats, as a base for soup, and with home made corn crackers or live grain breads.

I recently challenged myself to an entire day of eating straight out of my food processor. Inspired by a post from Made Just Right, I literally ate EVERY meal for an entire day that way.

What does a food processor day look like? Take a peek!

Breakfast: Zucchini, spinach, rolled oats, dried cranberries, almond butter, 1/2 a banana, dash of lime juice, agave nectar - I ate this alone and some on a piece of live grain bread and a cup of hot water with lemon or you can have black coffee or green tea.

Snack: Watercress, celery, apple, carrots, almonds, cinnamon, Greek Yogurt, hemp protein powder I ate this as a yogurt and with a handful of green grapes on top. I drank half a liter of water.

Lunch: Collard greens, quinoa, chickpeas, balsamic vinegar, fresh cilantro, 1/2 sweet potato, chia seeds, and ginger spice - I added a touch of vegetable stock to make this a soup. I ate this with a whole wheat roll I dipped in the soup and I had more water to drink - I added a cucumber slice to my water....

Snack: Roasted garlic, black beans, tomatoes, fresh rosemary, and olive oil I ate this as a dip with a handful of baked corn tortillas I turned into crackers. More water or green tea.

Dinner: Spinach, sea salt, pine nuts, lemon juice, onion, Roma tomato, and butternut squash over whole wheat pasta and with 3 ounces of grilled Tilapia and a glass of red wine.

Dessert: Banana, walnuts, coco powder, sea salt, and cinnamon. I froze the banana first and it made a delicious ice cream treat. Chamomile tea before bed!

My food processor lets me make my own pasta sauces, spreads, dips, and soups quickly and easily. For a working single mom on the go that is invaluable! My girls also don't always know how healthy they are eating since so much goes into their meals! Baby food is another trick I use to combine lots of healthy foods together. Have fun and happy processing!

What is in my CLEAN kitchen?

2011-03-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

So, I just got home from vacation and I had to hit the store for some groceries! I had nothing in my fridge - clean food has a short shelf life and I was gone for an entire week so things were looking pretty bleak! I hit the local Whole Foods with my daughter Taylor and restocked our kitchen accordingly!

Clean Eating Fridge Basics: What do you find in my fridge at ALL times? Here is a list of things I just love and always have on hand!

Egg Whites
Omega Three Whole Eggs
Fat Free Skim Milk
Almond Milk
Non-Fat Organic Greek Yogurt
Chicken Breasts
Tilapia
Extra Firm Organic Tofu
Ground Turkey
Olive oil-based margarine
No-sugar-added organic grape jelly
Fresh fruit - whatever is in season or sounds good - right now I have pears, cutie oranges, honey crisp apples, grapefruit, lemons and blueberries (all organic)
Fresh Veggies - again in season but I always have carrots, snap peas, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, celery, green pepper
Ground Flax Seed (refrigerate after opening - I use in my protein smoothies and in baking)
Chia Seeds (refrigerate after opening - I use in my protein smoothies and in baking)
Hemp Protein Powder (refrigerate after opening - I use in my protein smoothies and in baking)
Wheat Germ (refrigerate after opening - I use in my protein smoothies and in baking)
Hummus
condiments: mustard, mango salsa, medium salsa, homemade clean ketchup
Water

Freezer Basics: My freezer is where I keep frozen fruits, veggies, and meats - it's less expensive and allows me to buy in bulk. I also store a lot of my leftovers there in individual serving sizes.
Frozen chicken breast fillets
Frozen white fish fillets
Frozen berries
frozen steam-in-the-bag vegetables
Breads - live grain breads and wraps belong in the freezer! Ezekiel bread is one of the most well-known brands
Dark Chocolate Squares
Diana's Dark Chocolate Banana Babies - these are my favorite sweet treat!

Clean Eating Pantry Basics: My pantry is my go-to place for so many of my staples that I cook with every day.

Bakery products: whole-grain bread
Nuts/Seeds: unsalted almonds, cashews, walnuts, or sunflower seeds, all-natural nut and seed butters
Oils: extra-virgin olive oil, safflower oil, pumpkin oil, organic non-stick spray
Cereals: Kashi Go Lean, Shredded Wheat, All-Bran, Quaker Oatmeal Squares (my new favorite!), steel-cut oats, cream of wheat
Sweet Potatoes
Bananas
Dry Goods: brown rice, quinoa, millet, whole-wheat flour, sea salt,
Sugar substitute (Agave nectar, Sucanat, Rapadura, stevia),
Brown Rice
Quinoa
whole-grain flours
best quality vanilla, baking powder, baking soda
Canned goods: chickpeas, beans (navy, white, kidney, etc.), lentils, tomatoes (crushed, whole, or paste), water-packed tuna, water-packed salmon, low-fat, sugar-free, low-sodium soups, low-sodium corn and peas, low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock,
Sugar free syrup
Sugar-free tomato sauce, unsweetened, organic apple sauce, honey
Low sodium organic soy sauce
Whey protein powder
Baby food (for all my hiding nutrients in recipes) my favorites are garden vegetable, carrot, sweet potato, and mixed berry
Beverages: green tea, maca tea, tulsi tea, coffee, bottled water

Miscellaneous: spices - I have a full spice rack! Clean cooking is all about flavor!!! I also use balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, apple cider vinegar

Liquor Cabinet: I love red wine! Merlot and Cabernet are my two favorites and they are shown to be heart
healthy in small doses!

My kitchen is a clean zone and I like to keep favorites on hand so that they are there when I need them and when I need to grab a quick snack or make a meal I have plenty of ingredients readily available!

Precautionary Tale of the Food Industry's Best Kept Secrets

2011-03-21T23:11:00.000-07:00

One of the beautiful things about having my running team, The Mud Mafia is the amazing people I have met and gotten to know through the process. The Mud Mafia is from California to Connecticut and from Vancouver to Germany and we are committed to health and well-being. Mud Mafia runners are from all walks of life and all backgrounds. I learn from them all the time! The fact is Eating Clean is about putting the most nutritious wholesome foods into your body and that's not always easy to do and the food industry is not always helpful in this effort. The best way to ensure that is to arm yourself with knowledge. When you know better you do better.

Dan Campolieta aka DanCamp recently sent me this email and I knew I had to share it! Dan is a professional musician and independent fitness consultant (and Mud Mafia member!) from Hartford, CT who works as a coach for Beachbody, the company that created p90x. Check out his website and blog here. More information about Dan and how to contact him follow the post.

Here is the email he sent after watching the documentary "The Future of Food"

Warning: some of the information in this email might be disturbing. Friends, I am going to talk to you today about how profit-driven corporations, agencies, and politicians have been ruining our food. Sorry - I'm actually going there, when I began to dig into some of this information I was appalled, and I thought the least I could do is share with you what I know about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO's, or literally genetically engineered crops in today's food market) and how it could affect your daily life. This isn't a conspiracy theory, all of this is public information. It's just not at the top of the list for political discussion, though I'm hoping together we can change that!

IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN, or family of any kind - this email is a must read. We need to change these trends before it's too late.

Where it all started
I'll put it this way, things got "weird" when two things happened, almost simultaneously over 20 years ago: corporations got the idea that through a legal loophole, it was ok to patent organic material, namely seeds - and soon thereafter, Monsanto, the agricultural mega-corporation and manufacturer of Round-up and other pesticides became the leading patent holder for a number (today, in the 10's of thousands) of seeds and plants that were initially unclaimed. So before long, the leading pesticide distributor in the U.S. was also the leading patent holder of all of the seeds.

With the dawn of genetically engineered plants, Monsanto began experimenting with canola and corn that was "round-up ready" - had an immunity to round-up, so you could spray an entire field with their product, and only the genetically altered plants would survive. There is something very wrong here - the FDA approved these seeds because essentially they couldn't find any major chemical differences in the corn, though clearly there was a big difference from "regular" corn. Some rationalized that it was ok, because at the same time pharmaceutical labs were creating GMO's that were leading to medical breakthroughs with cancer, HIV/AIDS and other diseases. However there is one MAJOR difference: in the medical world, these GMO's are studied under closed quarters. If you plant a GMO as a crop, it can naturally spread its seed anywhere, cross pollinating with unaltered plants, reaching out to locations worldwide in no time. Since studies on GMO versions of corn, canola, soy and cotton were never done, the agricultural industry was taking a HUGE RISK with the widespread planting of these "round-up ready" crops.

Law Suits and Legal Battles
Before long, it wasn't a surprise that the patented "round-up ready" plants were spreading to local farmers' crop fields. YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS, but it's true. Monsanto actually begin to litigate against the poor independent farmers who unbeknownst to them had a handful of Monsanto's patented GE corn in their fields. Astonishingly, the courts often ruled in favor of the corporation, since patent rules don't look at how the seeds actually got there, but just the fact that they were there. Besides the fact that these procedures were completely unethical, now the seeds of these genetically altered plants were everywhere, with several smaller farms being sued and bought out by Monsanto.

So...why isn't the government intervening?
Well, the truth is if you look at previous and current executives of Monsanto, several have served or are serving on the EPA or FDA. Additionally, they are known for buying out political candidates with generous campaign funding. Another problem is the huge amount of government subsidizing that is going on for large corporations. Corn, canola, cotton, and soy are some of the top grown plants in this country, so the government subsidizes the cost of production - in fact W. Bush signed one of the largest subsidy bills in the history of our nation during his first term which is still in effect today. Subsidizing allows companies like Monsanto to take advantage of the fact that farmers actually LOSE money on every genetically engineered plant that they sell. With the campaign support food companies provide, the outrageous agricultural subsidies (by the way, in Europe the FARMERS get the subsidies, not the corporations, and in Canada there is no subsidizing in the agriculture industry), and the "inbreeding" of government food officials with corporate executives, it seems like nobody is going to step up and fix any of this anytime soon. In fact, several times congress has shot down propositions simply to require food companies to acknowledge the presence of GMO's in food! This is a big problem - since companies don't have to label anything, GE crops could be on any shelf in any supermarket. The only way to be close to 100% sure it is safe is if it is locally grown, or certified organic. Anything with corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, or soy lecithin is a potential risk for this.

Effects on Your Health
It's unfortunate, but because there is no sufficient data, there really isn't any way to say whether or not genetically altered food is bad for you. By not being forced to label GMO's (see above), there is absolutely no traceability, which is exactly what the corporations want! Anecdotal evidence says that one of the causes of the seeming rise of allergies in children is because of GE crops. Also, let us take a quick look at how this genetic alteration takes place, and YOU can decide if you want to put it in your mouth!

1) A piece of DNA from the corn's cell is removed
2) A strand of E. coli bacteria DNA is inserted in it's place. Cells are naturally resistant to gene splicing, (it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out), so you actually need to "infect" the food cell with a bacteria in order for the gene splicing to take place
3) Because cells will try to eliminate bacteria, there is also a DNA strand of an anti-biotic suppressor inserted. Pharmacists are cringing at this thought, especially since we are already in danger of becoming immune to many anti-biotics! Injecting an anti, anti-biotic into our food can NOT lead to anything good!
4) Finally a piece of genetic code for the "round-up ready" trait is inserted. Methods of insertion include using a "gene gun" which injects all this DNA junk with little pieces of gold to help destroy the cell membranes.
5) The corn that is manufactured often is covered with tumors because of the bacterial infection that ensues.
6) Yay, now we have corn that won't die when you put deadly chemicals and pesticides all over it, congratulations. Can't wait for dinner! (sarcasm...).

But I heard that GE crops will stop world hunger?
They claim that the ability to mass-produce crops will end world hunger. This is completely false. The world hunger epidemic is not caused by there not being enough food, it is caused by the availability of food. The only thing mass, corporate agriculture has done is put local farmers in the U.S. and even in 3rd world countries across the globe out of business. And worse than that is the risk that GE crops will cross pollinate with independent fields leading to hefty lawsuits! Third, Monsanto has actually created a "sterile" seed that is nicknamed the "Terminator," who's use is somewhat unclear to me. For no apparent reason, this seed is planted, produces a crop and then never again is able to reproduce. It is not approved for distribution, but if by accident, this laboratory seed ever "escaped," the effects would be devastating!! Again. The world hunger epidemic is not caused by there not being enough food, it is caused by the availability of food. Corporate food mass production is eliminating the self-sustainability of independent farmers in poorer areas, and therefore reducing the accessibility of food to these areas.

A slight ray of hope
The only hopeful news in all of this is that in the past decade, the amount of farmer's markets and general awareness of the need to support local produce has gone up exponentially. Additionally, advocates have fought to raise the standards of "certified organic" food to actually mean no use of any chemicals, whereas before these standards were wishy washy.

What you can do:
1) Be safe. Another reason to avoid Soy Lecithin and HFCS. Spend a little bit more money and buy local, certified organic food.
2) Talk to your local government officials. 1,000's of people rallied and got the standards of "certified organic" changed. I'm sure most of what you read in this email was news to you. Spread the word, get other people excited, and talk to your senator or representative.
3) Don't be discouraged. There really is hope. For a while it looked like "Pharming" (growing plants with pharmaceutical properties, including a "spermicidal corn" that was being developed) was coming into a new age. But in reality, the growth of Whole Foods stores, farmers markets, and general awareness of some of these atrocities have put us in a positive direction.
Wow - so hopefully you can read this a couple times and really digest it. I had a lot to say. If you want more information, I got a lot of this info from the documentary "The Future of Food" which fortunately just got uploaded for FREE on Hulu. http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food.

So enjoy your week! Keep pressing play, and I hope this email gives you a NEW definition of what it can mean to EAT CLEAN!

Thank YOU, Dan, for sharing your knowledge and for staying on the clean path!

More about Dan: His website http://www.fitasylum.com/ is both a blog about health and fitness, as well as an information center for p90x, Insanity, Shakeology, and other Beachbody products that can help you get in shape. Dan has been a runner since High School, but in his mid-20's began to put on some weight and get out of shape. He began using the p90x and Insanity DVD workout programs in 2008 to kick start some healthy life changes, and since then has lost 20 lbs and is back to his weight when he was 16, but with more muscle. I "real" person testimonial, not just a person in an informercial, Dan is proof that if you dedicate yourself to eating healthy and working out TODAY, you can make permanent life changes, whether that is something like p90x or your own program. I can testify that Dan is remarkable person and a person who is genuinely passionate about wanting to help people reach their goals!

Pittsfield Inspired Matt Baatz Sweet and Spicy Salsa

2011-03-20T23:10:00.000-07:00

While in Pittsfield, VT I got to meet and hang out with Matt Baatz. Matt is a wonderful person and I literally drug him with me EVERYWHERE while I was in town. He is Jason Jaksetic's roommate and he truly made my visit fun and memorable. Resident tour guide and all around nice guy, Matt really likes spicy salsa. I decided to make him this sweet and spicy salsa to commemorate my time with him in the barn and even with him as my sous chef at Joe's house making dinner my first night in town! Matt, THANK YOU for being wonderful and for being such a gracious barn host for me while I was in town. You are the coolest. Be sure to check out Matt's amazing blog - he's such a creative and humorous writer! I am so lucky that I got to spend four days hanging out with him. So, in his honor, here is my Matty Baatz Sweet and Spicy Salsa.

Ingredients:
5-6 small-medium tomatoes (I like Roma Tomatoes)
4 small garlic cloves minced
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
1 jalapeno or hot banana pepper
Cilantro Red onion (1 large or two small)
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons applesauce
Sea Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

Instructions:
Chop all ingredients. Mix together and ENJOY! I LOVE making new salsa recipes and this one turned out wonderfully!
I like to slice up corn tortillas, sprinkle them with sea salt and bake them for my own homemade chips.

I am so grateful for my time in Pittsfield and my time with Mr. Matt Baatz!

The Desena Family of Pittsfield, VT (and Tomato Soup!)

2011-03-20T23:04:00.000-07:00

On a recent trip to Pittsfield, I was fortunate enough to meet the Desena family. Joe, a larger than life personality, I had met a couple times previously, but I was looking forward to meeting his wife Courtney and their children Charlie, Jack, and Catherine. I loved that Courtney played soccer for Penn State and was an active healthy mom of three! I knew we'd have a lot in common!

You have heard me rave about Pittsfield in recent posts. The story how how it's evolved is fascinating! In the mid 2000's Joe Desena moved Courtney to the small, quaint town where they set out to renovate the old to bring new life to the town. In line with the character of the Green Mountains of Vermont, you find covered bridges alongside 19th century barns remodeled from the ground up and with updated amenities. Visitors get all the ambiance but with all the modern conveniences of home. On the 300 acres there is a prime wedding venue at Amee Farm as well as some of the finest lodging located just a few miles from the skiing hot spot of Killington. Athletes take full advantage of the 200 miles of scenic and challenging trail running on the mountain.

Pittsfield has become official headquarters of Peak Races and Peak Camps. These two enterprises both train athletes as well as provide the world’s toughest athletes expertly executed endurance races such as the events put on by Peak as well as the infamous obstacle race the Spartan Race. I was lucky enough to run the Spartan Race in Temecula this year and talked about my experience running the race and my opportunity to meet and interact with the other racers in past blog posts.

Joe Desena

A look at Joseph’s incredible racing achievements tell the tale of what sets him apart from your typical athlete and shows how committed he is to excellence in athletics. His resume as an athlete gives his company, Spartan Races, a distinction of authenticity that few competing race series can match. A brief listing of a few of his athletic achievements and you can recognize what an athlete and how unique a person Joe Desena is: The Racing Ahead Conquer Concord Urban Race, New Hampshire 2007 (2nd place all-male), Furnace Creek 508, Death Valley, Expedition Aconcagua in Chile, Peak Snowshoe Marathon, Peak 666 Mountain Bike Race, Ironman Events from Switzerland to Kona, Australia to South Africa, Badwater in Death Valley and dozens of other events are on his list of achievements over the last decade or so. Now, he lends that expertise to a variety of events he helps design for Spartan including the Death Race.

Joe and his wife Courtney were kind enough to let me cook for them in their home while I was in town and I made the 100 Mile Snow Shoe Surprise for the snow shoe and Death Racers on their stove top! Courtney and Joe have three children, Jack, Charlie and Catherine. Their home is warm and inviting and I truly enjoyed my time I spent in their kitchen. Friends and neighbors stopped by continuously and everyone was wonderful and hospitable, trying the food and sharing a glass of wine.

While cooking, Catherine, their youngest, watched all the activity and sorted organic animal cookies offering me elephants out of the pile every few minutes to keep my energy up. She reminded me of my little Catey and she was a great helper in the kitchen while I worked. Being in their warm inviting kitchen while the snow fell outside reminded me of the warmth and comfort that homemade clean Tomato Soup brings. Catherine's cookies inspired some animal crackers as a side, and is a perfect meal shared between friends, old or new.

Catherine's Animal Cracker Tomato Soup
Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. ripe tomatoes (approximately 10), cut into quarters
1 red onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 yellow onion
1/4 cup garden vegetable baby food
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 stick of celery, thinly sliced
1 large sweet potato peeled and cut into chunks
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 vegetable bouillon cube
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. dried basil or mixed herbs
ground black pepper
sea salt
4 tbsp. low-fat milk
4 small springs of fresh basil

Directions:
1.Remove cores from tomato quarters and toss away. Dice the tomatoes.
2.Put olive oil into large saucepan and heat for 20 seconds. Add onions and cook for approximately 3 minutes until onion is tender, stirring often.
3.Add celery and carrot slices and potato chunks to the saucepan. Peel the clove of garlic and crush into the pan. Cook these veggies for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4.Put the 1/2 vegetable bouillon cube in a heatproof container. Add 2 cups of boiling water into the container. Add tomato paste and stir until the bouillon cube is completely dissolved.
5.Add the stock, tomatoes, herbs and pinch of pepper to the saucepan. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat. Add baby food. Cover the saucepan 3/4, leaving a small gap.
6.Let soup bubble gently for approximately 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let cool 10 minutes. Using a hand-held blender, blend soup until smooth – be careful when blending!
7.Add low-fat milk to the soup. Gently reheat until bubbling, then remove from heat.
8.Top soup in bowl with a sprig of fresh basil before serving, if desired.

Eat with some organic, low-fat animal crackers like Annie's Homegrown!

So I owe a big "thank you" to the Desena family of Pittsfield and their kindness and hospitality while I was in town! I hope you enjoy the tomato soup inspired by little Catherine and her organic animal crackers.

Dinner for a Death Race Vegetarian

2011-03-20T23:03:00.000-07:00

Wait? I know, I know. That blog post title may have been a little shocking... Death Race? Vegetarians? That's a lot for one little title. We'll tackle the Death Race and THEN the vegetarian part. Don't worry, it ends with a delicious recipe!

The Peak/Spartan Death Race is not for the faint hearted... even for those of you that claim to be pretty tough endurance athletes. It's not just about running or biking... it's about messing with your head for an extended period of time - a time that's not defined at the start. Kept under tight wraps, no one outside the race designers know what is in store in this Summer's June version of the event, but you can guess it will be pretty tough. Check out this post from Johnny Waite, the vegetarian who inspired today's post about his experience at Death Race Camp to get a taste for what the racers will endure this Summer. Stay tuned for more on the Death Race and the people participating that are inspiring all kinds of delicious healthy food!

I myself have dabbled in many different types of eating lifestyles: organic vegan, gluten-free, paleo, raw, and vegetarian. My niche and the lifestyle that works best for me is Clean Eating, but I have seen benefits from a variety of eating habits for a lot of people in my life. As a cook, I create recipes for dietary restrictions and lifestyles all the time. One of my favorites is vegetarian. One perceived as “tree huggers” vegetarians are emerging as a vast and differentiated consumer market and some notable vegetarian athletes may surprise you. Joe Namath, famous NY Jets quarterback and arguably one of the greatest athletes to come out of the NFL is a vegetarian. Martina Navratilova the tennis phenom was a vegetarian for most of her career and it earned her 18 Grand Slam singles titles and 31 doubles titles. Dave Scott, nicknamed simply “The Man” holds the record for most Ironman World Championship victories (tied with Mark Allen) winning all six of them as a strict vegetarian. He came out of retirement at age 40 just prove he could and he took second. Carl Lewis, the track star went strictly VEGAN before the 1991 Worlds and said he ran the best meet of his life. Not too shabby for the vegetarian community.

Most recently, I met an aspiring Death Racer training for the upcoming Spartan/Peak Race in June in Vermont: Johnny Waite. He’s a vegetarian and Crossfit enthusiast and his training this last week in Vermont gave him perspective, a touch of confidence, and an overwhelming sense that he can’t possibly know what is in store for his first Death Race. I told him I would pull something together that was vegetarian and protein packed for his training and I’ll be keeping in touch with him as he trains for the event in Pittsfield June 24th. Here is his very own vegetarian and clean death race dinner recipe!

Johnny Waite Black Bean Death Race Dinner (Vegetarian)

Ingredients
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup Pureed cauliflower
Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic, and sauté until lightly browned.

2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,

3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, add lime juice and pureed cauliflower and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Enjoy!

Floridian Inspiration

2011-03-19T23:09:00.000-07:00

I am going to take a brief respite from the Pittsfield recipe series to call attention to the amazing dinner we cooked up tonight in Siesta Key, Florida. I have been on VACATION and clean cooking comes with me. It's an annual event for my girls and I to trek down here for sun, sand, and swimming. Known for white sandy beaches and teeny tiny bikinis, I have been coming here since middle school. I am always spoiled - I have had fresh fish every day - the seasonal produce and sea food abound so we are taking advantage of the citrus, berries, and fresh fish fillets from the local market!

Tonight, ever-challenged by my family to make "clean" meals, I raided the fridge and pantry to come up with this chicken marinade for my parents, grandparents, and girls. My dad is the grill master and barkeep so he made the chicken once it had set in the marinade and he also poured the drinks! The grill is Oceanside (and in close proximity to the hot tub) so half the fun is making the food at sunset, margarita in hand, and tonight it turned out perfectly. Try this recipe the next time you are wanting an escape to someplace tropical. Be sure to pair this meal with a sangria or sweet wine to really bring out the tangy flavors of the food.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
1 small can of Pineapple tidbits and juice
1 green pepper diced
1 orange pepper diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 ripe banana
2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash original seasonings
1 teaspoon onion powder
Sea Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1 lb chicken

Prep and Cook:

Soak ingredients in the marinade for at least two hours. Chicken on the grill and the veggies and fruit on the grill on a piece of heavy duty tin foil. Cook until tender and juicy (or until your drink runs dry).

I put the chicken over some cooked quinoa and loaded the top with the fruit and veggies like salsa. It was delicious!

Get creative with your cooking. It's fun to try new flavors. We even decided that we'd try some strawberries next time in the marinade to add something extra sweet.

Breaking Down the Eating Clean Lifestyle

2011-03-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

So, you've heard me talk about eating clean for some time and I wanted to break it down even further for you with a lot of detail! As you know by now, eating clean you want to be eating 5 or 6 meals per day and each meal should have a protein and a complex carbohydrate. Your first meal should be within one year of rising and you should have about 2 or 3 liters of water daily. For food, healthy fats should be around 2 servings a day. Starchy carbs should be consumed 3 or 4 times a day as well. Try to keep your calories spread out, although my largest two meals are my first meal and my fourth meal each day.

The basics of Clean Eating are simple:

◦Eat a wide-variety of whole, unrefined and unprocessed foods in a form that’s as close as possible to how the foods appear in nature. As Jillian Michaels says, "If it comes from the ground and/or has a mother it's good to eat." Avoid anything man-made.
◦Avoid processed sugars, especially sugary beverages like soda
◦Avoid saturated fat and trans fats, and instead substitute healthy, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats
◦Always combine complex carbohydrates with lean protein and some healthy fats at every meal (carbohydrates listed below in more detail)
◦Spread your food out over 5-6 smaller meals, consumed every 2-3 hours
◦Eat for maximum nutrient density. In other words, avoid “empty” calories found in fast food, soda, snacks, cakes and cookies, and substitute in nutrient-dense snacks.
◦Pay attention to proper portions and practice portion control
◦Drink lots of water (2 or 3 liters a day.)

Each food group is broken down below...
Guide to Healthy Lean Proteins:
Protein is composed of amino acids, known as the building blocks of muscle. The Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) established by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences for protein is 1 - 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So, if you are 125 pounds you want to have between 125 and 187.5 grams of protein a day. Spread out over 6 meals you are looking at 20 - 31 grams of protein per meal.

Chicken Breast:
One of the cheapest lean protein sources available, chicken breast provides about 8 g protein per oz. When shopping, look for boneless skinless chicken breasts, as the majority of chicken fat is in and around the skin. To further reduce fat content, trim any remaining fat before cooking.

Lean Beef:
In addition to being full of protein, beef is also a good source of B vitamins and iron. However, many consider red meat unhealthy because of high saturated fat content and added hormones. Therefore, when shopping for beef, look for leaner cuts like top round, top sirloin, and flank steak. A general guideline is to look for a minimum 2 g protein to 1 g fat ratio. For ground beef, buy 90 percent lean or leaner. Also, whenever possible buy grass fed beef because this meat contains additional omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), both healthy types of fat. I eat a lot of bison these days which is very lean and very tasty!

Fish/Seafood:
Salmon, tuna and shrimp are just a few sources of seafood lean protein sources. However, be careful with tuna, as excessive consumption can lead to mercury poisoning. (I'm talking to all my sushi loving friends here!) The Natural Defense Resource Council reports that tuna can have mercury content anywhere from .09 parts per million (ppm) to more that .5 ppm, depending on the type.

Egg Whites:
An egg consists of a white and a yolk. The white is a fast digesting protein while the yolk contains fat and cholesterol in addition to protein. By removing the yolk, you can eliminate a vast majority of the calories present in the egg without sacrificing all the protein content. Egg whites are available by the carton as well as in whole eggs. I buy the Eggbeaters egg whites and make three egg white omelets with spinach, tomatoes, and broccoli (sometimes even mushrooms) every day with my oatmeal at my first meal.

Beans:
Also high in fiber, beans are one of the rare plant sources of complete protein (containing all essential amino acids). There are a variety of bean types that provide similar nutritional benefits, including navy, pinto and black beans.

Dairy:
When shopping for dairy products, look for a high protein content with lower sugar content. Although all dairy items contain some amount of lactose (a simple sugar), milk and especially cottage cheese are good dairy protein sources.

Protein Powder:
For individuals who have a difficult time getting the appropriate amount of protein from whole food, protein powder is a convenient alternative. Protein powder can come from a variety of sources, including whey, casein, egg, soy and hemp. To select the type that is right for you, recognize that whey and casein are dairy sources and may cause gastrointestinal discomfort.

Note: I am NOT a big fan of protein bars. They are heavily processed and I'd rather make my own. Check out this blog post from me about my favorite home made protein bar recipe.

Healthy Fats:
You want to be eating these Essential Fatty Acids (or EFAs) once or twice a day and in moderation. Adding EFA’s to your diet must be done moderately, even though they are “healthy fats” they are high in calories. You cannot eat your fill of them. Rather, you add a small amount to your daily meals and snacks (aiming for about 20% of your daily calories to come from such foods as nuts, olive oil, avocado and flax).

Here is a list of my favorite healthy fats and a guideline as to what constitutes a serving:

Olive Oil = 1 TBS = 120 cals = 13.5g fat
In order to reap the benefits of olive oil, it should be added to food AFTER the food is cooked. Drizzle on salads and fresh vegetables. Topping a tomato with a bit of olive oil will increase your body's ability to use the lycopene in the tomato.

Natural Nut Butters (Peanut, Almond, etc) = 1 Tbs = 100 cals = 8g fat
A reasonable serving of natural peanut butter is one tablespoon for a snack and two tablespoons for a meal. Please understand that you must eat the NATURAL peanut butter. Read the ingredients and if it lists hydrogenated anything, put it back on the shelf.

Almonds = 1 oz. (22 whole) = 170 cals = 17g fat
Avoid salted as they are high in sodium. Add a small apple and you have an easy-to-pack, healthy, mid-afternoon snack!

Avocado = 1 medium = 115 cals = 15g fat
Avocados are so yummy! Try them on your salad, on top of black bean soup, with salsa on your egg whites, or in your tuna wrap. They add a creamy, tasty and satiating bit of fat to your meal so that you stay full until the next feeding. My favorite way to get avocados is in some of my favorite sushi dishes!

Ground Flax Seeds = 1 Tbs = 50 cals = 4g fat
I add a tablespoon to my morning oatmeal every morning! It adds a fun, nutty flavor. It's also quite delectable in yogurt or on top of cottage cheese and strawberries.

Flax Seed Oil = 1 Tbs = 115 cals = 15g fat
Combine with balsamic vinegar for a twist on your typical salad dressing. If you are into that whole nutty flavor thing, try substituting it for peanut butter in your protein shakes.

Salmon = 4oz = 200 cals = 9.2 g fat
Not all fish are created equally. Cold water fish are more closely aligned with protein sources whereas warm water fish like salmon is high in protein (19grams per 4oz. serving) and low in carbs (0) but also higher in their fat content. It is best to eat it broiled, baked, poached or steamed. I am more of a white fish (cold water fish). If you are lucky enough to live on the west coast, chose wild salmon over fresh or Atlantic. It will have the lowest mercury and PCB levels. Recent research has assured me that eating even the Atlantic salmon twice a week is OK for most adults. However, women who are pregnant or breast feeding should consult their doctor before making that decision.

Guide to Healthy High Fiber Carbohydrates:

The high fiber complex carbs are a group of complex carbohydrates. High fiber complex carbs are usually present in plants. Their chemical structure makes them indigestible by humans. Humans lack the enzymes that help break down the bonds between the complex sugar units. Thus, most of the dietary fiber passes out of the body without begin digested.

There are two types of dietary fibers, soluble and insoluble. They help in improving gastrointestinal health, increasing glucose tolerance and insulin levels in the body. Dietary fibers help in reduction of hypertension, coronary heart disease risk factors, cancer and even hyperlipidemia. A food like oatmeal includes both forms of fiber.

The following is a list of high fiber carbs (it includes starchier carbs - those are detailed further below and you should have 3 or 4 servings a day):
Fruits
•Apples with skin
•Apricot
•Apricots, dried
•Avocado (also a great source of healthy fats)
•Banana
•Blueberries
•Cantaloupe, cubes
•Figs, dried
Grapefruit
•Orange
•Peach
•Peaches, dried
•Pear
•Plum
•Raisins
•Raspberries
•Strawberries

Vegetables
•Beets
•Beet greens
•Bok choy
•Broccoli
•Brussels sprouts
•Cabbage
•Carrot
•Cauliflower
•Coleslaw
•Collard greens
•Corn, sweet
•Green beans
•Celery
•Kale
•Onions, raw
•Peas,
•Peppers, sweet
•Popcorn, air-popped
•Potato, baked with skin
•Spinach
•Summer squash
•Sweet potato
•Swiss chard
•Tomato
•Winter squash
•Zucchini

Cereal, Grains, Pasta
•Bran cereal
•Bread, whole wheat
•Oats, rolled dry
•Pasta, whole wheat
•Rice, dry brown

Beans, Nuts, Seeds
•Almonds
•Black beans
•Cashews
•Flax seeds
•Garbanzo beans
•Kidney beans
•Lentils, red
•Lima beans
•Peanuts
•Pistachio nuts
•Pumpkin seeds
•Soybeans
•Sunflower seeds
•Walnuts

Starchier Carbs - Keep it to 3 or 4 servings a day
Starchy foods include potatoes, legumes and beans, cereals, rice, grains, and breads from the list above. When faced with starchy carbs, be sure to reach for whole grains, which are healthier due to their nutritional content and higher levels of fiber, minerals and vitamins.

Starch is an important source of energy for our bodies and the main source of a range of nutrients, such as fiber, calcium, iron and B vitamins. A healthy diet typically means having a few healthy starch sources.

Legumes, Peas and Beans
Lentils, split peas, kidney beans and chickpeas--they're all chock full of starchy carbs and a ton of fiber. Add these foods to your casserole, chili, stew or curry dishes in place of meat, which will cut the saturated fat and the price of the meal.

Cereals
Reach for wholegrain cereals or add a half cup of whole grain cereal to your favorite cereal until you grow accustomed to the taste and texture. Oatmeal and porridge are delicious on a cold winter morning. These options will fill you up with fiber and keep you satisfied. You can jazz up your warm breakfast with yogurt and fresh fruit.

Rice and Grains
Rice and grains are a wonderful choice for a starchy carb. They supply us with energy, are low in fat and supply us with protein, fiber and B vitamins. To stay in a clean zone, swap your white rice for brown, long grain, basmati, wild or abborio rice. Or you might try a new grain, such as bulgur wheat, buckwheat, quinoa or amaranth. Quinoa is my personal favorite! When creating a pasta dish, reach for whole grain or try couscous, topped with a tomato based sauce, a drizzle of olive oil and fresh herbs. Each of these foods can be eaten cold or hot in main or side dishes, stuffed into root vegetables or atop salads.

Breads
Bread is a starchy food, like pasta, potatoes and rice, but whole grain, whole meal and brown varieties supply us with energy and contain vitamin E, fiber and minerals. This includes breads, crackers, pretzels, tortillas, baked goods, pancakes, pitas, bagels, waffles and other wheat products

Barn Beast Breakfast Burrito

2011-03-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

While doing the 100 mile Snow Shoe race in Pittsfield, VT the infamous Barn Beast aka Jason Jaksetic requested breakfast burritos around mile 74. An admitted burrito lover, it was obvious that I had to come up with a recipe in honor of his amazing accomplishment of completing the 100 miles and a burrito recipe is the perfect way to commemorate the historic event. Barn Beast is training for several ultra’s including the Death Race and I hope this burrito recipe makes it into his nutrition rotation. These hearty, clean and healthy versions of the popular breakfast promise lots of energy, less fat, and more nutrition but all the flavor. Clean tip – use corn tortillas instead of whole wheat or flour. They are less processed!

Barn Beast Breakfast Burritos
Ingredients:
2 cups egg whites
1/2 Cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt
½ Cup chopped tomato
½ cup chopped green pepper
1/2 Cup chopped onion
½ Cup black beans
4 corn tortillas
sea salt and fresh black pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions:
In a small bowl whisk egg whites, Greek Yogurt, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

In a medium skillet coated with cooking spray, saute vegetables and beans until soft. Pour the egg/yogurt mixture over vegetables and cook until mixture sets. Once firm, divide egg mixture among the warmed tortillas. Roll each into a burrito. Garnish with low-fat-sodium salsa

Number of Servings: 4 (unless you are an actual Barn Beast, then it's about two)

In case you missed it, check out Jason aka The Barn Beast's story of his 100 miler...

Down with O.P.P Bars

2011-03-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

Cut bars

I was in the mood for a sweet filling treat on this cold afternoon! I've been on a major sweet pumpkin and peanut butter kick. They are great as a breakfast on the go with egg whites and veggies or even as a snack before bed with a glass of milk. Portion size is 2 x 2 so keep that in mind as you snack away!

If you don't have pumpkin on hand, fresh sweet potatoes or a can and a half of organic pureed sweet potato is a great substitution! The other half a can I add to meats, sauces, and soups for additional nutritional value and nothing is wasted!

I have made these bars with organic pumpkin puree with or instead of the sweet potato and I've also added 1/4 cup of unsweetened dark chocolate with or instead of the dried fruit before and that is delicious as well! Calories are adjusted if you add/take away ingredients so be aware of that if you are counting calories.

Ingredients:
1 TBSP Organic Olive Oil (for greasing the pan)
5 sweet potatoes
4 cups of oats (The 3 - 5 minute kind)
3/4 cup organic skim milk soured with
1 TBSP lemon juice
1/4 cup flaxseed
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 TBSP Peanut Butter
2 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
2 TBSP coconut butter
1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, dates, cherries, blueberries), chopped
1/2 cup raw unsalted nuts (walnuts, almonds, and/or pecans) chopped
pinch of sea salt

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9 x 13 baking dish by spraying it or line it with the olive oil
Prick sweet potatoes all over and bake until tender (about an hour).
When cold enough to handle, remove peels and place flesh in a large mixing bowl.
Set oven to 400 degrees now.
Add all remaining ingredients to sweet potato mix and mix well
Press into prepared baking pan.
Bake 30 - 35 minutes or until golden on top.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Cut into 2 x 2 squares.

Just before going into the oven

I have always said that portion size and food combinations are more important than counting calories when you are eating clean, but keeping track, especially when you get started is very helpful in keeping portions right and knowing where you are at for the day. One 2 x 2 bar is all you need to get your complex carbs and healthy fats. With a great protein like yogurt or milk you are all set and your sweet tooth is satisfied!

Nutritional Value per serving (one bar):
Calories: 200 Calories from fat: 50
Fat: 7.5 Saturated Fat: 2 Trans Fat: 0
Sodium: 20 m
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Protein: 6 g
Carbs: 31 g
Fiber 4 g
Sugars: 8 g

Pittsfield Recipe Bonanza!

2011-03-15T23:07:00.000-07:00

Pittsfield Recipe Bonanza!

As many of you know, I recently spent a few days in Pittsfield, VT assisting with the 100 mile, marathon, half marathon, and 10K snow shoe races and Winter Death Race put on by Peak Races. The experience was amazing and it inspired so many recipes, I have to devote a series of posts to the people and town of Pittsfield!

Pittsfield is a picturesque town nestled in the mountains of Vermont and the people there were more than gracious and accommodating of those of us who descended on them for the weekend. Home of the infamous “Spartan Barn” and the now legendary “Barn Beast” Jason Jaksetic; it’s a perfect place to train and a beautiful place to visit.

The barn itself is a meticulously restored and renovated space with a green house, living quarters on the top floor complete with wifi Internet access, bathrooms, and kitchen. The main floor is an open and spacious dining hall space with a fireplace and large windows that give a panoramic view of the mountains and trails outside. Literally steps outside the back door is 15 miles of mountain trails perfect for biking and hiking in the warmer temperatures and snow shoeing in the winter. If all the mountain trails aren’t enough to keep you busy, a Bikram Yoga studio in “downtown” Pittsfield can keep you on track with your fitness.

Amee Farm would make a one-of-a-kind wedding and/or corporate event location! Contact Amee Farm at http://www.ameefarm.com/ to learn more about that!

The general store that serves as both a restaurant and a store is where I spent a lot of time was one of my favorite features of Pittsfield. Their delicious sandwiches a daily staple for me personally was warm and inviting not to mention full of nutritious and organic foods that made it easy for me to keep it clean while cooking for the racers and for myself! While I was there, a chef was visiting and prepared some amazing sea food recipes including some scallops and orzo. They also had a great wine cellar and pizza menu. I went through a lot of coffee there in my four days! It was a wonderful place to retreat to for warmth, great food, and fantastic service.

I am so grateful for the time I spent there and how hospitable the people were to me personally and to the other race participants and volunteers. I look forward to seeing everyone again in the Spring for the McNaughton ultra-event. I’ll be doing the 30 miles, but there is a 100 miler, 150 miler and even a 200 mile trail run going on starting May 7th! Email info@peackraces.com or more details.

So what kind of recipes did the little town of Pittsfield inspire? First up, the 100 miler left an impression so here is my first Pittsfield recipe!

100 Mile Snow Shoe Surprise

What’s the surprise? That people want to do 100 miles on snow shoes! I made this recipe for the guys doing the 100 mile snow shoe race in Pittsfield, VT a couple weeks back. They needed something hearty and the quinoa gave them some added protein for their journey. With just a few ingredients, it’s a perfect meal for a busy evening that may or may not include a 100 mile trek through the Vermont Mountains.

Ingredients:
1 can organic cream of chicken soup (Can substitute cream of mushroom here)
1 lb organic cooked chicken breasts cut into one inch cubes
1 cup prepared quinoa (make according to package instructions) Brown rice can also be used here
1 bag frozen vegetables (I used the California blend of carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower)
Sea Salt and Ground Black pepper to taste
Instructions:
Brown the chicken and cook the quinoa. Add the frozen vegetables and cream of chicken soup and mix well. Add Salt and pepper to taste. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.

Bahamas Mama Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

2011-02-23T22:06:00.000-08:00

First of all, I love tacos. LOVE them. Lately, I've switched to a corn tortillas exclusively because they are less processed but for those of you with a gluten intolerance they are also perfect for your dietary needs in place of whole wheat tortillas. I plan on having this meal on my dinner table in short order! I'll even grill in my flip flops tonight in the impending snow storm to get the vibe right!

Bahamas Mama Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
12 soft whole-wheat or whole-grain tortillas (Go Gluten free with corn tortillas)
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder plus 1 pinch, divided
1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
1 pound organic flank steak beef, trimmed of fat (leaner alternative would be ground turkey or chicken)
1 organic pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rings
1 organic red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh organic cilantro
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to high. Stack tortillas and wrap in heavy-duty foil.
Combine oil, 1 teaspoon chipotle powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small dish. Rub mixture into both sides of steak. Place the tortilla stack on the coolest part of the grill or upper warming rack, if possible, and heat, flipping once, until warmed through and very pliable.
2. Meanwhile, grill the steak for 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium, or until desired doneness. Grill pineapple rings until moderately charred, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove the tortillas, steak, and pineapple from the grill. Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing very thinly crosswise into strips.

3. Meanwhile, dice the pineapple and transfer to a medium bowl. Add bell pepper, garlic, onions, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice, the remaining pinch of chipotle powder, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss to combine. Serve the sliced steak in the warm tortillas with the pineapple salsa.
Makes 6 servings.

Soundtrack:
Matisyahu, "One Day"
Tribal Seeds, "Dark Angel"
Beach Boys, "Kokomo"

Oatmeal on the Go!

2011-02-21T22:05:00.000-08:00

Never Late, Without a Plate Oatmeal Cookies

With all the cooking I do, I feel like my arms are constantly submerged in a sink full of bubbles or emptying my dishwasher. In the mornings, trying to get two girls out the door, I often find myself eating breakfast on the go and one of my favorite meals is oatmeal! Driving with a bowl isn’t recommended and many an evening I have taken a crusted bowl out of my car and labored to scrub off the remaining oats off the sides working up a sweat. I have the perfect solution. With a glass of milk, these oatmeal treats, boasting 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per cookie, are as hearty as bowlful and as healthy too! Grab two on your way out the door for delicious, healthy morning breakfast!

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup Old Fashion Rolled Oats
½ Cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (alternative: ½ cup oat pastry powder)
2 TBSP Flaxseed
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. Sea Salt
½ cup Agave Nectar (alternative: honey)
1 egg white
1 TBSP almond butter (alternative 1 TBSP organic peanut butter)
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup chocolate chips (alternative: dried fruit, i.e. raisins, craisins, etc)
2 TBSP Chia Seeds
2 TBSP Hemp Protein Powder
¼ cup Sweet potato Puree
2 scoops whey protein powder (alternative: 2 scoops soy protein powder)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix Oats, flour, flaxseed, cinnamon, baking soda, chia seeds, hemp protein powder, and sea salt in a large bowl. Combine Agave, egg white, almond butter, vanilla, and sweet potato puree in a medium bowl. Combine the two mixtures. Spoon mixture into 16 or so evenly spaced cookies and flatten slightly with your spoon.
Bake 8 – 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutrition Information per cookie: Calories: 117 Carbs: 19 Fat: 2 Protein: 6 Fiber: 3

Casey's No Pain Novocain Chicken Chili

2011-02-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

Ah.... nothing is better on a cold winter afternoon than a hot bowl of steaming, hearty chili! This would go great with my homemade cinnamon roll recipe. This past weekend, with my running partner and friend Casey serving as inspiration, I threw together a spicy chicken chili. First, I have to explain why Casey get's this recipe title. Casey runs for the Mud Mafia, my running team, and her nickname is Novocain because no matter how hard the training day, no matter how much is asked of her, she fights through the pain. Our mantra is "No pain, novocain." This chili is like a band-aid for the soul, a heartwarming, belly filling meal you can share with your family and friends. Be bold, my friends, and feel free to add freely any seasonings and fresh ingredients you like. Chili can really be a fun and unique recipe every time you make it. Have fun!

Casey's No Pain Novocain Chicken Chili

Ingredients:
1 sweet onion
2 cloves garlic pressed
1 bunch of green onions
2 roma tomatoes cut up
1 can or organic black beans
1 can or hot chili beans
1/2 cup of hemp protein powder
1/2 cup of flax seed
1 large can of roasted tomatoes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup organic chicken stock
organic chili pepper flakes
1/4 cup sweet potato puree (or baby food)
1/4 cup spinach puree (or baby food)
1.5 lbs of ground chicken or ground turkey browned and seasoned to taste
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1 large bay leaf

Instructions: After browning the meat, add all ingredients to a stock pot or a crock pot and simmer on low for several hours until the mixture is well seasoned and flavored.

Enjoy!

Catey Baby Berry Muffins

2011-02-18T22:33:00.000-08:00

I am a single mother to two beautiful girls: Taylor and Caitlyn. They are mini clean eaters and love helping me bake and cook. My older daughter Taylor helps me pick out dinner recipes for the week, shops with me and even pitches in on the cooking and cleaning up. My girls often inspire my baking and today after dance class, while still in her tutu, Catey came up to me while I was making protein bars and asked, "Mama, will you make me something sweet?" After my heart melted, I checked the fridge and found that I had plenty of fresh berries and decided to make her some muffins. I threw this together with some nutritional bonuses from the baby food, flax seed, and hemp protein powder. I always put a drop of honey on the top of my muffins for an extra touch of sweetness. They turned out delicious and Catey got her "sweet" for the day.

Catey Baby Berry Muffins
2 cups white whole wheat flour

1/3 cup Stevia
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 TBSP hemp protein
2 TBSP flax seed
4 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 serving sizes of sweet potato orchard baby food (about 1/2 a cup)
1 cup fresh chopped strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
Honey

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray two muffin pans - makes about 18 or so.
2.In a large mixing bowl, mix whole wheat white flour, Stevia, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
3.In medium mixing bowl, mix together egg whites, hemp protein powder, flax seed, baby food, and vanilla extract.
4.Mix the wet mixture into the flour mixture. Fold in the berries.
5.Spoon combined batter into lined muffin cups. Top each muffin with a small drop of honey.
6.Bake approximately 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a couple of the muffins comes out clean.

Grilling in February! Houston's Honey Teriyaki Kabobs!

2011-02-17T22:33:00.000-08:00

Nebraska has four distinct seasons. As a runner I find it diversifies my outdoor training and it also diversifies my closet. Any excuse to go shopping for shoes and fall is boot season my favorite! I digress. Where Spring is mild and fragrant, Summers are hot and humid, runs generally end with tight lungs and soaked gear. Fall is gorgeous... trees are changing colors, a light layer is comfortable (it's football season) and the air is crisp, and then there is winter.

Nebraska has cold winters. COLD. Not cold like 32 degrees, but sub zero and windy. Did I mention we get snow? I don't mean an inch or two at a time. I'm talking about lots of snow, bucket fulls of it, and sheets of ice, sleet, and slush have been known to rain down days at a time, and it can last for months. We have the thermal gear so we get outside and contrary to my whining, I'm actually pretty conditioned to the cold after the initial shock, I don't wear a winter coat unless it's below about 20 degrees, but it's still frigid for several months out of the year.

Brad Houston

This week, it's been beautiful. B-E-A-utiful. That means one thing....BBQ! My amazing friends Kim, Chad, and Brad Houston (the recipe namesake) all came over to share in the experience! We have video footage of the evening and so stay tuned for that! It was quite a night of fun, food, and laughter.

Marinade

As is customary, my recipe has an inspiration and namesake. This time it's named after my friend Brad Houston. Brad is sweet (like honey) and saucy (like, soy sauce, get it?), one of the wittiest guys on the planet, and always willing to try out my food. The first time we hung out it was when I was making "Kick You in the Face" pancakes so we have a great food history!

Houston Honey Teriyaki Kabobs
Ingredients

1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp fresh ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic
2 sweet onion, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 green bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups whole fresh mushrooms
1/2 fresh pineapple cut into 2 inch pieces
skewers
(I also threw in a small handful of organic chili pepper flakes and a banana sliced up for fun)

Directions
I like to make my marinade the night before I grill the food and let it marinade for a good 20 hours or so.
1.In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey (or agave), soy sauce, ginger and pepper. Set aside about 1/4 of a cup to brush on chicken while grilling. Place the chicken, garlic, onions, mushrooms, pineapple, and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.

2.Preheat the grill for high heat.

3.Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers. I like to cook the pineapple and banana separate since they have sweet flavors and don't take as long to cook.

4.Lightly oil the grill surface. I use an organic olive oil spray. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently. I like to have a glass of green iced tea with lemon while I do this. Especially when it's hot outside.

Served on a bed of brown rice or quinoa with some fresh lemon juice, this dinner is hearty, flavorful, and reminiscent of the summer heat even in the middle of the winter.

Lafawnduh Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Balls

2011-02-16T22:32:00.000-08:00

I love peanut butter. I have been known to come directly home from the grocery store, leave the bags on the counter top, rifle through the bags until I find the jar, unscrew the lid, tear off the foil and inhale the sweet, salty scent for a long moment before eating it out of the jar, two full tablespoons, 190 delectable calories of healthy fats down the pipe.

Ask any endurance athlete what they have in their pantry and I assure you peanut butter will be in there. It's a staple go-to because it's cheap, it can be slathered on just about any kind of carbohydrate, and it's a great source of protein for rebuilding muscles. I don't want to leave out other nut butters like almond and walnut, peanut butters' delicious cousins. They are all fantastic.

The beautiful thing about nut butters is that there are so many health benefits to nuts and nut butters. Nuts and nut butters contain healthful monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and are a great source of protein without any cholesterol. And according to the Journal of the American Medical Association (Nurses Health Study), consuming nuts lowers Type II diabetes risk. So eating as few as 5 servings or 30 grams of nuts each week can cut risk by almost one third.

The Lafawnduh Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Balls were born when I got a call from my close friend and ultra distance athlete Jason Jaksetic. He is currently living in the mountains of Vermont training for several races and he informed me that he was eating organic peanut butter with a giant peanut butter chocolate chip

cookie as a spoon after watching Napolean Dynamite. I think that says it all. This is a similar version to Jason's cookie spoon in the jar only CLEAN and with some additional nutritious benefits. Plus, my version won't give you a glucose crash and carbohydrate hangover like the one Jason had the next day...I took a few to the gym with me tonight and had them as soon as I was done working out. It was a great snack and kept me satisfied until dinner.

Music selection: I recommend making this recipe while listening to a little Orbital Halycon. It takes about as much time to make these little beauties as it does for the song does to play through a couple times. Maybe nine times for the balls to freeze. Just enough time to catch Napoleon Dynamite.

See the recipe by clicking below.

Lafawnduh Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Balls
Ingredients
4 scoops chocolate whey or soy protein powder
2/3 cup ground flax seed
4 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 cup water (add gradually)
2 tsp agave nectar or honey
2 tbsp unsweeted cocoa powder
1/2 cup rolled oats
Coating (optional):
2 TBSP chopped dark chocolate.

3 TBSP sesame seeds *Bonus nutrition! Not only are sesame seeds a very good source of manganese and copper, but they are also a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber.*

Directions
Mix 2/3 cup water and the other ingredients, except for the sesame seeds, in a large bowl and stir. If more water is needed add a TBSP or so at at time. It is going to be VERY sticky!
Using a spoon take tablespoon sized portions roll them into balls and then roll them in a mixture of the the sesame seeds and dark chocolate. I use a food processor to make it a nice fine layer. Store the balls in fridge or freezer. Once solid, enjoy.
Yields about 24 balls
Serving size: 1 ball
Calories: 72 Fat: 4 Carbs: 5 Protein: 6 Fiber: 2

Read more at Suite101: Nut Butter Nutrition Facts: Wholesome Nut Spreads Give Your Body a Nutritional Boost http://www.suite101.com/content/nut-butter-benefits-a49820#ixzz1E3Eev1zm

Recipe? What Recipe?

2011-02-15T22:31:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodhism.com/

I love posting my recipes. And let me issue a disclaimer: My recipes are not things you will find in a Betty Crocker Cook Book. I didn't go to culinary school and I rarely use measuring cups. At the grocery store I have a list for basics, but outside of that it's basically a free for all.

When explaining how I make things I use words like a scootch, a dash, a touch, a pinch, a handful, a little bit... It's just not how I cook. Often times you'll see my recipes and I'll have multiple options because I believe that in almost every recipe you do! I empower you, as cooks and bakers to use seasonings and spices how you see fit and to boldly step outside the lines of the conventional when you cook. It's not uncommon to see me stop, mid stir, suddenly stare off into space, grab something out of my spice rack, fridge or pantry and toss it into whatever I am making with a flourish.

The bottom line for me is that, precision and accuracy have no place in my kitchen. I am what I like to call an "inspired chef" so I let my mood, my friends, music (most of these recipes have a song too), moments, experiences, and places move me and it creates dishes that are memorable and unique. My recipes all come from somewhere and have a back story so when I talk about them, share them, prepare them, and eat them I am reminded of where they came about and I think that is the last special ingredient that makes it delicious.

My "inspired" cooking ensures a few things:
1. It's Different EVERY time. Even the same "recipe" is never totally the same
2. I Use it all! I don't waste anything. I find a recipe for anything and everything in my pantry or fridge before it goes bad.
3. I'm bold... and random! Why shouldn't you use onions, garlic, cranberries, lime and tequila as your marinade when they are the only things you have in your kitchen. (True story - and it was delicious). I get to be creative in the kitchen and while shopping so I can try new things and not be a slave to a recipe. It doesn't always work, but it usually does. Remember that all these recipes are clean, hearty, and healthy so don't let the names fool you!

Some of my personal favorites are:
Catey's Kick you in the Face Pancakes
Broadway Drunk Chicken Fitness Fiesta
Houston Honey Teriyaki Kabobs
J&J's Protein Power Bars (These have to be made while listening to ANYTHING by Journey)
Lafawnduh Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Balls
Casey's No Pain Novocaine Chicken Chili
Payne Train Sweet Potato Pie

I'll be posting each of these recipes soon along with the story and maybe even a song or two to get the creative juices flowing. You have to enjoy the process of cooking, the inspiring moments that the recipes carry with them. Each one has a story, a history and when I make them, when I share them, I am reminded of the blessed life I have and how I have to savor every bite.

Kick You in the Face Clean Pancakes

2011-02-14T22:31:00.000-08:00

I have an obsession with pancakes. Making them, eating them, creating new recipes... it's far and away one of my favorite comfort foods. Pancakes have become somewhat infamous with my circle of friends and family. Notably, my three-year-old once threatened our beautiful Golden Retriever, Molly that she would, “Kick you in the face if you take my pancakes.” Rather than assume my little one had emerging anger issues I decided to assume that my pancakes were just THAT good, a person would resort to violence to protect them. Thus, “Kick you in the face pancakes” they became!

My classic recipe is below, but I switched it up this week to add some quality calories since my training hours are ramping up. This morning for my single serving I added: 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein.

Carrie’s Classic Kick you in the Face Pancakes

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour (hey gluten free eaters, sub some oat flour here and you are in the clear)

2 1/2 cups organic skim or soy milk
1 whole egg
3 egg whites
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbsp flaxseed
1 tsp. organic cinnamon
2 Tbsp wheat germ (leave out if you are gluten free)
1 tsp. honey or agave nectar
2 tbsp sweet potato puree and/or 2 tbsp carrot puree (I use baby food)
Non-stick organic olive oil spray (for the skillet or griddle)
Some Optional Ingredients (items I add directly to the batter alone, in combinations, or as toppings:
1/4 cup blueberries (or any berries)
1 banana sliced (great ingredient combined with the dark chocolate or slivered almonds!)
1/4 cup dark chocolate pieces
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup almonds/dried fruit mix
1/4 cup granola
1 tbsp nonfat greek yogurt (as a topping with berries)
(You are seeing the trend here, pancakes can be a veritable gold mine for anything you have in your fridge or pantry)

Directions
Step 1 – Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl careful to remove any lumps.

Step 2 – Ladle the batter onto a skillet or griddle (that’s been preheated) and with the olive oil spray between each batch. Keep the heat at medium to medium high. Using high heat will burn the pancakes before they are cooked through. Pancakes are ready to flip when the edges are bubbling.

Step 3 – Cook until they are cooked through and serve, topped with sugar free syrup or honey. I also like organic strawberrys pureed and put on top.

Enjoy and just try to refrain from kicking someone in the face!

J&J Protein Bars

2011-02-11T22:29:00.000-08:00

In honor of my good friends, Jamie and Jim, and their combined sweet tooth, I have put together a fantastic recipe for homemade protein bars that are more like brownies than bars. Believe me when I tell you that at 200 calories for two large bars you'll satisfy your sweet tooth, keep it clean, and help you stay fueled for the day! These will keep me going during my "brick" workout today! More to come on that later!

J&J (Jim and Jamie) Protein Bars
Ingredients:

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour (or Oat flour)
4 Egg Whites
2 scoops Chocolate Whey Protein Powder
½ cup Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal
½ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt
8oz Gerber's Organic Berry and Banana Blend baby food
3 tbsp unsweetened baking Cocoa
1/2 cup Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal oats
1/3 cup slivered almonds
4oz Water

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix dry ingredients (oat flower, vanilla whey protein, baking soda, salt, baking cocoa) together in a large bowl.
3. Mix wet ingredients (egg whites, Splenda, Truvia, or Ideal, Berry flavored Baby Food,Water) together in a medium sized bowl.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix together. Add oats, chocolate, and almonds.
5. Spray cooking dish with a non stick butter spray and add batter to dish.
6. Bake 20-30 minutes in oven.

Makes 16 squares, serving size is 2 bars.

Calories per 2 bars: 200
Carbs: 28 grams
Fat: 6 grams
Protein: 14 grams
Fiber: 6 grams

Valentine's Day is all About Heart...

2011-02-10T22:29:00.000-08:00

In honor of Valentine's Day I am sharing some of my favorite heart healthy clean recipes you can share with your Valentine, take care of your heat, and take it easy on your wallet. I have never been a fan of going out to eat on Valentine's Day. I'd much rather stay home, open a bottle of Cabernet, and take a couple hours making a meal, enjoying the process, and hopefully, the company! Not only does it bring you closer, but you'll never have to wait for a table or call months in advance for reservations. With more and more people re-evaluating how they spend their money, these recipes will also make your bank account love you. Each dish comes in at under $3 a serving. You can't beat that...

Wine tip: Opt for a red wine on Valentine's Day to do your heart some good. Many studies investigating the benefits of red wine suggest that moderate amount of red wine (one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men) lowers the risk of heart attack for people in middle age by ~ 30 to 50 percent. It is also suggested that alcohol such as red wine may prevent additional heart attacks if you have already suffered from one. Just take it easy... after one or two glasses the benefit of the wine is no more.

Just Desserts...
What is Valentine's Day without a little chocolate? Skip on the milk chocolate version and opt for an antioxidant rich dark chocolate alternative with this rich, tangy, crunchy, and delicious confection:

Nutty Orange Dark Chocolate Bars

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa or greater), chopped
1 cup unsalted macademia nuts, toasted
1 cup unsweetened dried oranges (any dried fruit would work here) chopped into bite size pieces
Pinch sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Set aside.

2.In a medium bowl melt chocolate, stirring frequently, until smooth and melted, about 5 minutes in the microwave. Pour melted chocolate onto prepared baking sheet, spreading with an offset spatula to about 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle evenly with nuts, oranges, and salt. Chill until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes. Peel off foil and break chocolate into pieces. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Best served slightly chilled.

Nutrients per 1-oz serving: Calories: 190, Total Fat: 10 g, Sat. Fat: 4.5 g, Carbs: 25 g, Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 12 g, Protein: 2 g, Sodium 12 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg

Who says that Valentine's Day needs to break the bank? This main dish is delicous, heart-healthy, and a lean, mean $1.38 per serving. Make dining in this Valentine's Day intimate, healthy, delcious, and inexpensive.

Grilled Fish Tacos

Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Chill: 15 minutes
Grill: 4 minutes

Ingredients

1 poundfresh or frozen skinless cod, sole, or flounder fillets, 1/2 inch thick
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoonground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 7- to 8-inch corn tortillas* Corn tortillas are far less processed than flour and have a lower glycemic index!
1 bag or spinach or romaine lettuce

Directions

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Arrange fish in a 2-quart square baking dish; set aside. In a small bowl whisk together lemon juice, oil, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Pour over fish. Turn fish to coat with marinade. Cover and chill for 15 minutes. Drain fish, discarding any marinade. Stack tortillas and wrap in foil.

2. For a charcoal grill, grill fish and tortillas on the greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 4 to 6 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork and tortillas are warmed, turning tortilla stack once. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place fish and tortilla stack on greased grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.)

3. Transfer fish to a cutting board. Cut or flake fish into 1-inch pieces. Serve in warmed tortillas with the lettuce topped with Pineapple Salsa and/or Chipotle Coleslaw.

Valentine's Day isn't just about time with your mate, your family has to eat too! This delicious recipe comes in at $1.88 for four servings even less if you make it six! Now that's good for the heart!

Admittedly, this is my kind of food. One of my favorites actually. This recipe is a warm, hearty, savory meal on a cold evening and for anyone who loves to cook, it's one you can make with a lot of love and with an hour and half to roast, you can spend some quality time with the ones you love.

Garlic Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Prep: 25 minutes
Roast: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients
3 heads garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons snipped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoonground black pepper
1/2 teaspoonsalt
1 3- to 3 1/2-pound whole roasting chicken
3 medium sweet potatoes (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large sweet onion (such as Vidalia, Maui, or Walla Walla), cut into wedges

Directions
Preheat oven to 375° F. Separate the cloves of garlic (you should have about 30 cloves) and peel. Mince four of the cloves. Set aside remaining garlic cloves.

In a small bowl, combine minced garlic with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the rosemary, the ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Rub minced garlic mixture over chicken.

Place six of the garlic cloves into the cavity of the chicken. Tie legs to tail. Twist wing tips under back. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Insert oven-going meat thermometer into center of an inside thigh muscle. Do not allow thermometer tip to touch bone. Roast, uncovered, for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours or until drumsticks move easily in their sockets and meat thermometer registers 180°F.

Meanwhile, place sweet potatoes, onion wedges, remaining garlic cloves, 1/2 tablespoon of the rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a 1392-inch baking pan. Drizzle vegetable mixture with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil; toss to coat. Place in oven on a separate rack and roast, uncovered, for 50 to 60 minutes or until tender, stirring every 15 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven. Cover loosely with foil and let stand 15 minutes before carving. Serve chicken with vegetables. Carve chicken,discarding skin before serving.

Dinner and Dancing

2011-02-09T22:28:00.000-08:00

I spend so much time thinking about food. I love food. I do. On top of all the thinking about the food, I spend almost as much time shopping for it, preparing it, serving it and eating it! I cook for my family, for my friends, for my running team - pretty much anyone. My kitchen is the heart of my house. Food is a passion... So is dancing... I spent my whole life dancing and there is something remarkable about what happens to your body when you hear music begin to play. Even babies are compelled to move when they hear music... we are born to move. So it would stand to reason that my kitchen doubles as a dance hall.

On the surface, it may appear that cooking and dancing don't inherently go together... but at my house, there is no distinction. It's very simple, you cook, you dance (and sing). My girls and I keep an iPod player there for what we lovingly refer to as "dinner dance party time" or DDPT. I don't have any scientific proof, but I am pretty sure that when I play loud music and cook, the food tastes better... In between seasoning, peeling potatoes or carrots, stirring pots, and drying dishes my girls and I twirl and shake and sing at the top of our lungs.

I even have play lists for cooking... for those of you who follow my blog, you know I also keep play lists for running. One of my favorites is my "Island" mix that is played when we make Tapas, Tacos, fish or anything where I get to use citrus seasoning... Some songs on that one are "Toes" by Zach Brown Band, "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys, and about a dozen Bob Marley songs. When I make salsa, yep, you guessed it, salsa music... Celia Cruz Guatanamera, Salsa Brava, and Carlos Santana "Oye como Va." I have to use my Spanish Language minor or I'll lose it! The girls are not only learning how to slice tomatoes but how to do a perfect open form hammerlock!

Another favorite is my "Hot Damn" mix for when I cook spicy food... it has songs with the word "Fire" or "Hot" in the title. Some examples are "I'm on Fire" by the Boss, "Sex on Fire" by Kings of Leon, "Light my Fire" the Doors, "Sleep Now in the Fire" by Rage Against the Machine, and Hot Tottie by Usher. It always inspires a nice mix of spicy seasonings and I never measure them... it's all on the fly!

In the sake of full disclosure, some play lists have not been as well received... the opera for organic lasagna night left my girls saying, la melodia stonata, mama! When I attempted Sarah Brightman's "Con te partirò". And who can forget the Lil Wayne Debacle of 2010 when the eff bomb was unexpectedly dropped during what I thought was a radio friendly version of "Knockout" in the middle of making chocolate chip muffins with the girls. My audience inspires all kinds of music. When I cook for Kim, it's all country or 80's pop, "A Little Bit Stronger" by Sarah Evans or some "Heaven is a Place on Earth" by Belinda Carlisle. With Casey, it's rap and R&B like Grenade by Bruno Mars, Animal by Ke$ha, or My Life Would Suck Without You by Kelly Clarkson. When we made Cinnamon Rolls and the girls had to knead the dough, they requested Irish Rock to the tune of Dropkick Murphy's "Shipping Up to Boston." It fueled some hard hitting dough beat downs of epic proportions.

When it's just me, I rock some Amos Lee, Bonnie Raitt, Jonny Lang, Joe Purdy, Van Morrison and Ray LaMontagne. I love a mean guitar riff and it is the perfect kind of music to cook to... I have even been known to grocery shop with my iPod. Always on shuffle just to see what comes up... Sometimes a song will inspire a meal...

I have an amazing all piano list I like to listen to when I make meals that take time and have specific preparation or remind me of my grandma. Sweet Escape by Paul Cardall is a favorite. Listening to that song while I chop vegetables or bake bread reminds me of my grandma Adams and how her cooking brought the whole family together. Holidays of years past, everyone crammed around the table elbows rubbing together, laughter, and warmth, heads bowed in a moment of thanks. Those smiles shared with family brought together from all over the country for precious hours a few times a year were enough to sustain us. When we'd leave with our containers of leftovers, I always felt like we were taking the memories of that day home with us... it meant so much. Wrapped up in the smells, the sounds and those precious moments I feel like she's nearby.

I want my legacy in the kitchen to be the same thing for my girls. I want them to remember how they feel when I pick them up from school or daycare and announce in the car that it's DDPT time when we get home and their faces light up and the wiggle in their seats calling out song requests on our drive home. I want to cherish seeing their smiling faces as they toss noodles into water or pour milk into the batter all while singing at full volume and how the whole room feels completely full when we are together like that. I want them to recognize the value of investing themselves in the ritual of food. I want them to value and appreciate the idea of eating well, eating healthy, and making it a fun and enriching time spent with people you love. Those moments get me through those hard days when the kitchen is empty and quiet... I can feel them there, hear their bubbling laughter and be reminded of how truly blessed we are to have each other.

I blog about the rules of eating clean, break down the glycemic index, and avoiding additives, and I believe that all of those things are important to know... but you don't need to learn them overnight. If there is one rule you follow and you start today, make meal time a special time where you make the food together and then actually sit together as a family to eat. And NOT in front of the television or in the car rushing to the next place you need to be. Take a breath, take a moment, look each other in the eye... appreciate the time...because it will pass by so very quickly. And while you are together in those few precious moments each day find a song, turn it up, and bust a few hot dance moves on the ~~dance~~ kitchen floor.

Decoding the Processed Side of Clean Eating

2011-02-07T22:27:00.000-08:00

You hear me talk about eating clean and avoiding processed foods, foods altered by people but then I go and make a recipe with milk… so what gives? I’m going to break down the reality of processed foods and how it relates to a clean eating lifestyle. Processed foods have been altered from their natural state for safety reasons and for convenience. The methods used for processing foods include canning, freezing, refrigeration, dehydration and aseptic processing.

We tend to think of processed foods as bad, but it turns out that many processed foods are not unhealthy. For example, milk would be considered a processed food because it is pasteurized to kill bacteria and homogenized to keep fats from separating. While some people prefer to drink raw milk, most of us should consume the "processed" version we find in our grocery stores.

Another healthy example of food processing is frozen vegetables. While fresh may be best, freezing vegetables preserves vitamins and minerals and makes them convenient to cook and eat all year around. Fruit and vegetable juice is also an example of a healthy processed food. In fact, some orange juice is fortified with calcium to make it even more nutritious.

Of course, there are a lot of processed foods that aren't good for you. Many processed foods are made with trans fats, saturated fats, and large amounts of sodium and sugar. These types of foods should be avoided, or at least eaten sparingly.

Processed foods that may not be as healthy as fresh foods include:

Canned foods with lots of sodium
White breads and pastas made with refined white flour, which are not as healthy as those made with whole grains
Packaged high-calorie snack foods, like chips and cheese snacks
High-fat convenience foods, like cans of pasta
Frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners
Packaged cakes and cookies
Boxed meal mixes
Sugary breakfast cereals

These processed foods and prepackaged meals are very convenient and popular. If you do shop for these foods, be sure to look for products that are made with whole grains, low in sodium and calories, and free of trans fats. Make sure you pay attention to serving size, too, and balance out the processed foods you eat with a delicious fresh salad and some whole grain bread.

Read the Label - Additives to Avoid
You are what you eat, even when you don't know you are eating it! Your food label needs to become your roadmap for grocery shopping. After a few trips, a little practice and some helpful tips you'll be well on your way to knowing what to avoid! Here is a list of some of the most harmful and common additives that are in the average American’s diet.

Natural Flavors
Natural Flavors are naturally occurring substances approved for use by the FDA. These substances could contain flavors that come from allergy causing ingredients like nuts and wheat. If you are prone to food allergies this could be a big problem for you.

Chemical Mixtures
These are fertilizers, insecticides, and herbicides that farmers spray their plants with the repel insects and weeds. Unfortunately they are not required to be listed on the ingredients of food. More often than not the residue from these chemicals remain on your food. Studies have linked these chemicals to cancer. You can avoid these toxins by washing your food with 1tsp of dish washing detergent with 4 liters of water or you can shop organic and avoid these chemicals all together.

Sodium Nitrate
Sodium Nitrite is a preservative that is found in processed meats such as Bacon, lunch meats, and other processed meats. The problem with Sodium Nitrate is that it can mix with other chemicals in the stomach to form nitrosamines. Nitrosamines have been linked to various types of cancer. You can avoid this by avoiding canned soups, frozen dinners, and buying fresh meats and nitrate free lunch meat.

High Fructose Corn Syrup
This ingredient is listed as High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Sweetener, Corn Syrup, or Corn Syrup Solids. It is found in frozen foods, sweets, breads, sauces, sodas, candy, ketchup, and countless other foods in the American diet. HFCS is the grim reaper when it comes to your health. It brings with it a truckload of health problems including increasing your risk of diabetes , heart disease, and high cholesterol. It also can increase insulin resistance which can lead to obesity and a plethora of additional health problems. In fact High Fructose Corn Syrup tricks your brain into thinking it’s still hungry so it actually encourages over eating! Unlike other natural sources of Fructose like fruit HFCS has no additional vitamins or minerals. It has zero nutritional value. You should try to avoid foods that contain HFCS at all cost.

Artificial Colorings
You can find these ingredients under the names red #3, green #3, blue #2, and the list goes on. They are find in Candy, sodas, and other foods that seem to be unnaturally brightly colored. Studies have linked artificial food colorings to a host of health problems including cancer and thyroid problems. You should steer clear of artificially colored foods.

rBGH
This additive is found in dairy products. rBGH is a growth hormone that is injected into cows to stimulate milk productions. After approving the use of rBGH in 1993, the FDA has turned a deaf ear to the pleas of consumers, food safety organizations and scientists to reverse its approval of the hormone, or to simply require labeling of foods containing rBGH. The milk in grocery stores often contains this hormone. rBGH has been tied to prostate, colon, and breast cancer. You should look for milk that does not contain rBGH or switch to organic milk.

Omega-6 fatty acid
This often appears on labels as Linoleic acid, sunflower, sesame, corn, and soybean oil. Many frozen and processed foods contain these oils. This oil is not harmful in small amounts, but unfortunately Americans consume on average 5 times to much of these acids. This excess intake can cause high Blood Pressure and heart disease. You can avoid this excess intake by avoiding processed foods and substituting Omega-6 intake with OMega-3 from foods like almonds and fish.

Sodium
This can be found on food labels as Monosodium Glutamate, baking soda, or salt. It is found in almost every food we eat, but processed foods and meats contain large amounts of salt. Unfortunately most restaurants often use Sodium in excess to season their foods. Excess Sodium can cause High Blood Pressure and put undue strain on your heart. You can avoid high salt intake by cooking at home and using herbs instead of salt.

MSG(Monosodium Glutimate)
This might disguise itself as yeast extract, gelatin, textured proteins, sodium casseinate, and many other names. This is found in many frozen foods, chips, and fast food. It has been shown to trigger migraines and make you feel hungrier than you are. You should carefully read packages to make sure there is no MSG in them.

Trans Fat
Usually this additive is listed under the name partially hydrogenated oil. It is found in many baked goods we find on our shelves. It is also in margarine. Even though a food claims to have 0 trans fats that might not be true because a company is not required to list the trans fat content if it contains under .5 grams. So you must read the ingredient list on the label.

Read a few labels on your next shopping trip and look for fewer ingredients and ones with names you can pronounce! The more wholesome the better!

Additional Sources: http://thefoodfarce.com/2010/06/21/150/

Cooking Clean Challenge

2011-02-05T22:26:00.000-08:00

Last week, while hearing Jim lament some of his nutrition challenges and comment on his ambitious marathon goals for May I decided that I would issue him (and myself) the ultimate challenge. Make the average guy undergo a nutrition make-over to get more clean, lean, and mean before May 1st. My approach to clean eating is pretty straightforward. You have to make it work for yourself, but everyone needs help to get started and support on the journey, so once a week Jim and I are going to be getting together so I can cook and we can chat about how to eat cleaner but still packs a flavorful punch for this fast food frequent flier. What better way to kick it off than with some clean sweet and sour chicken (no take-out here) and chocolate raspberry cupcakes?
Check out the video of the experience and the recipes are listed below. Try this alternative to takeout the next time you have a craving for Chinese food or rich chocolate goodness!

Check out the recipes for everything we made tonight!

Sweet and Sour Chicken
This healthy and vastly reduced sodium alternative to Chinese takeout is flavorful and filling. With or without rice (or in this case Quinoa) you can enjoy all the tastes of the Orient without the high sodium, fried meat, and unhealthy sauces.
Serves: 6
Hands-on time: 20 minutes.
Total time: 1 hour.
INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp agave nectar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 breasts), chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 1 cup)
1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 3/4 cups)
12 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups quinoa

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, agave nectar, garlic, ginger and pepper flakes. Place chicken in a large shallow dish. Pour soy sauce mixture over chicken, tossing gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and marinade and sauté for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add bell pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly tender. Add pineapple and cook for 2 more minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately over rice for a complete meal, if desired.
Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Generally takes about 12 minutes.

Nutrients per serving (1 1/4 cups chicken mixture; not including rice): Calories: 161, Total Fat: 1.5 g, Sat. Fat 0.25 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.25 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5 g, Carbs: 17 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 13 g, Protein: 21 g, Sodium: 404 mg, Cholesterol: 48 mg

Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

These sneakily healthy cupcakes are about 80 calories a piece and pack a vitamin fortified punch with the pureed spinach and blueberries, whole raspberries, and Greek yogurt. They will give you energy, satisfy your chocolate craving and keep you clean and calorically in check. They are also kid approved! :-)
Serves: Makes: 12 cupcakes. Hands-on time: n/a Total time: n/a
INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup Sucanat, divided
1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup organic Greek Yogurt
1/3 cup plus 2 tsp skim milk, divided
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 egg whites
2 TBSP – 1/4 cup pureed spinach and blueberry mix
1 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped, plus more for garnish if desired
1/3 cup frozen organic raspberries

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cocoa powder, 1 cup Sucanat, flour, salt and baking soda.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together sour cream, 1/3 cup milk, oil, vanilla spinach and blueberry puree and egg white.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Combine everything with a rubber spatula.
Add egg whites to a large clean, dry mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip whites with hand beater or whisk attachment of stand mixer until they begin to get foamy. Add remaining 1/4 cup Sucanat very gradually to whites. Continue whipping whites into medium-stiff peaks.
Fold whites in thirds into cake batter, gently but assertively with rubber spatula.
Add raspberries and gently mix.
Fill each of the 12 cupcake liners 3/4-full with batter. Tap bottom of filled muffin pan on countertop and transfer immediately to oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool completely.
When cupcakes are completely cool, combine chocolate and remaining 2 tsp milk in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 30 seconds. Stir until melted chocolate is completely smooth. Spread a thin layer on top of each cupcake. Sprinkle additional chocolate shavings, a chocolate piece,or a fresh strawberry or raspberry on top, if desired.

The Fitness Tech Podcast #16: The Trek, a Frozen Burrito Race, Ultra Runner Jason Jaksetic and Fat Fast Food!

2011-02-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

On a blustery Friday night I joined Jim and Jamie to talk nutrition, the recent races, a new ultra-marathoner friend, and an upcoming challenge I’ve issued for Jim. We were live on uStream recording #16 for the Fitness Tech Podcast. If you want to know when the podcast is live, follow Jim on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jcollison. If you want to contact us here at the show, email us at podcast@theaverageguy.tv.

We spent some time talking about the Groundhog Race in Kansas City on January 31st. If you missed the audio and video content we did that day, it’s still available right here. We also talked about the up coming Trek up the Tower and the 1st Annual Frozen Burrito Race in Neligh, Nebraska. Jim will do some live podcasting from both events. What here for more details as the events get closer.

As many of you saw last week, I shared a blog post from Ultra running athlete Jason Jaksetic and his old school “Rocky” training style. We talked about both the physical and mental aspects of endurance training and what it takes to get an event like a 100 mile race done. We are hoping to have Jason with us on a future show and talk about his races, his training, and what inspires him.

Jamie and I then grilled Jim on his eating habits and gave him some suggestions on how to fix it. We once again looked at my earlier blog about fast food and how to manage the consumer traps at your favorite fast food joints. I also issued a challenge for Jim to make some minor changes to his diet and show is progress here on the blog. Game On!

The podcast has had some tremendous growth in the last two weeks. Thanks listeners for making this adventure fun and successful! We included some awesome outtakes…make sure you listen all the way thru the podcast.

http://fitnesstech.podomatic.com/entry/2011-02-04T22_56_24-08_00

or Download

Intro and Exit Music from “Motion” by Adelaide. Hear more great tunes at Listentoadelaide.com

Fast Facts About Fast Food

2011-02-02T22:25:00.000-08:00

“The journey of a thousand pounds begins with a single burger.”
Chris O'Brien

You get off work and you’re tired. You pick up the kids and sitting in traffic you come to the conclusion that you don’t want to make dinner and the kids are screaming in the back seat that they are “STARVING”. Looking at your watch you realize it’s nearing dinner time and you aren’t even sure what’s in your fridge at home to make. Up ahead on the next corner the golden arches appear… what do you do?
Before you stop and order something take a look at what you are getting yourself into and what you can do to take control and keep it healthy.

The negatives of a Fast Food Culture

High Calories
Fast food, as is no surprise to anyone contains significant calories and the density of those foods is misleading to the body. Fried foods actually contain twice the calories than before they were fried. If you compare a typical fast food meal with other same-sized meals that contain a more healthy balance of food groups, you'll find that the fast food is much denser than the alternative. Some fast food combinations can provide almost 100 percent of an adult's recommended daily caloric intake with just one meal. By eating a Big Mac and fries, the body consumes almost twice as many calories as you would if you ate the same weight of pasta and salad. I blogged about high glycemic foods... this is what I'm talking about! The glycemic response of taking in these many calories is treacherous to the body's fat stores and the muscles abilities to try to absorb quality calories.

Fat
Many fast food choices contain harmful fats that negatively affect the body. From fatty meats to fried food, fast food is full of trans fat that has been linked to coronary heart disease, strokes, obesity, liver damage and even cancer. Although the scientific evidence is not conclusive, high levels of trans fat consumption have been linked to diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, erectile dysfunction, and infertility.

Non-Nutritive
A fast food meal delivers plenty of unhealthy ingredients to the body, but it's also important to realize what a fast food meal isn't providing. Most fast food doesn't contain any healthy ingredients like fiber, vitamins or minerals. Instead, processed food contains too much salt, sugar, artificial additives and preservatives. Replacing a healthy meal with a fast food meal deprives the body of essential nutrients that are a key part of a healthy, well-functioning body.

Oversized Portions
Clever marketing campaigns continually try to influence what kind of fast food to purchase and in what quantities. The acceptable meal sizes and portions that an adult should consume are ignored when it comes to fast food. Restaurants sell meals that are beyond average size, and then they give the customer the option for even bigger meal combinations. People get a false sense of an appropriate portion size, and they ingest even more unhealthy fast food in order to feel full.

The documentary “Supersize Me” introduced America to some of the pitfalls and dangers of eating fast food on a regular basis. Here are some of the statistics determined.

Each day, 1 in 4 Americans visits a fast food restaurant
In 1972, we spent 3 billion a year on fast food - today we spend more than $110 billion
McDonald's feeds more than 46 million people a day - more than the entire population of Spain
French fries are the most eaten vegetable in America
You would have to walk for seven hours straight to burn off a Super Sized Coke, fry and Big Mac
In the U.S., we eat more than 1,000,000 animals an hour
60 percent of all Americans are either overweight or obese
One in every three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime
Left unabated, obesity will surpass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death in America
Obesity has been linked to: Hypertension, Coronary Heart Disease, Adult Onset Diabetes, Stroke, Gall Bladder Disease, Osteoarthritis, Sleep Apnea, Respiratory Problems, Endometrial, Breast, Prostate and Colon Cancers, Dyslipidemia, steatohepatitis, insulin resistance, breathlessness, Asthma, Hyperuricaemia, reproductive hormone abnormalities, polycystic ovarian syndrome, impaired fertility and lower back pain.
Only seven items on McDonald's entire menu contain no sugar
Diabetes will cut 17-27 years off your life
The World Health Organization has declared obesity a global epidemic
Surgeon General David Satcher: "Fast food is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic"
Most nutritionists recommend not eating fast food more than once a month
40 percent of American meals are eaten outside the home
McDonald's represents 43% of total U.S. fast food market

There is hope! Even McDonald’s is cleaning up their act. According to this article from Health.com lists these top ten restaurants represent the best out there when it comes to fast food! Surprise, surprise, McDonald’s cracked the top ten and is making great strides in healthy food options for consumers!

#1 Panera Bread
Over 1,230 locations nationwide (and in Canada) This bakery-cafe-based eatery wowed our judges with a comprehensive menu of healthy choices for every meal.
Look for: Delicious, nutrient-packed combos like a half–Turkey Artichoke on focaccia bread with a bowl of black bean or garden vegetable soup. Danger zone: Sticky buns and cheese danishes are on display at the counter.

#2 Jason’s Deli 206 locations in the West, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, South About one-fifth of all its ingredients are organic, from blue-corn tortilla chips and whole-wheat wraps to field greens and spinach. Plus, its creative salads—like the Nutty Mixed-Up Salad with organic field greens, grapes, chicken breast, feta cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries, pumpkinseeds, raisins, and organic apples—make you actually want to order the greens. Look for: Being able to build any sandwich on an organic whole-wheat wrap. Danger zone: High-sodium counts on some sandwiches; if sodium is a concern, stick to the ultrahealthy choices.

#3 Au Bon Pain 280 locations nationwide A pioneer in healthy fast food, Au Bon Pain serves up sandwiches, soups, salads, and hot entrees made with whole grains, veggies, and hormone-free chicken. Look For: Yummy low-cal soups, from Jamaican Black Bean to Fire Roasted Exotic Grains and Vegetables. Danger zone: The sodium counts can get high if you don’t pay attention.

#4 Noodles and Company 204 locations in West, Midwest, South Here, you choose from three food types: Asian, Mediterranean, or American, then within each style, pick from four noodle bowl options. Lean proteins—hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken, beef, shrimp, and organic tofu—can be added, too. Look for: The whole-grain linguine—usually hard to find when eating out. Danger zone: The desserts. The only options are two kinds of cookies and a Rice Krispy Treat bar that checks in at 530 calories and 19 grams of fat!

#5 Corner Bakery Cafe 111 locations in West, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, South What sets Corner Bakery apart? A fantastic breakfast menu, which is rare in the quick-serve world. But Corner Bakery also has healthy salads, sandwiches, and soups made with whole grains, fresh, lean meats, and vegetables, as well as great portion-controlled combinations that make limiting calories a no-brainer. Look for: Healthy oven-roasted chicken that comes on most pastas and salads. Danger zone: You have to go to their Web site to get nutritional info.

#6 Chipotle 800+ locations nationwide Buffet-style Chipotle gives every customer complete control over her burrito, taco, or salad. And you get to build it with fresh, local ingredients. In fact, Chipolte won high marks for its commitment to organics, hormone- and antibiotic-free meats, and produce sourced from local suppliers, which is revolutionary in a chain this big. Many of its entrees can be low-sodium, if you choose add-ins such as the fajita veggies and green tomatillo salsa. Look for: Burrito Bowls, which let you skip the tortilla—and the extra carbs. Danger zone: The dark side of a buffet is that you can go wild. So you have to go light on cheese and sour cream.

#7 Atlanta Bread 106 locations in 24 states (Southeast, West, and North) This innovative bakery also features whole-grain bread, fresh sandwiches (including paninis), and hearty, healthy soups and salads. It earned high marks for great sides, too, including fire-roasted black bean and corn salad. Look for: The entree salads like Salsa Fresca Salmon Salad: grilled wild Alaskan salmon filet on greens with fire-roasted black bean and corn salsa and a pineapple-mango vinaigrette. Danger zone: Pasta entrees at some locations are offered with bread … that’s a whole lotta carbs!

#8 McDonald’s 14,000 locations nationwide Admittedly, I was hard on the fast food chain – and with good reason but among the big burger-based chains, McDonald’s is leading the way in overhauling its menu to offer more heart- and waist-friendly fare. Take the Happy Meals, which you can order with a side of apple dippers (with low-fat caramel) instead of fries and low-fat milk or fruit juice instead of soda. (Now the trick is just getting your kid to go for them!) And if you’ve gotta have fries, McDonald’s are made in a healthy canola-blend oil and come in at just 230 calories for a small. The Grilled Chicken Classic sandwich and wraps are healthy choices, too (just skip the mayo or sauce). So is the salad with Paul Newman low-fat balsamic vinaigrette. Registered dietician Moore notes that an Egg McMuffin, at 300 calories, is a smart alternative to other “calorie-laden biscuit breakfasts.” And our whole panel commends McDonald’s for spelling out the nutritional information right on the back of its tray liners. Look for: The chain’s 260- to 270-calorie Snack Wraps (choose grilled chicken) for protein without a lot of unwanted carbs. Danger zone: Although McDonald’s made our list, this is still the land of supersizing and giant sodas. It’s up to you to request a small or even a kids meal size portion.

#9 Einstein Bros. Bagels 649 locations nationwide Einstein Bros. offers healthier alternatives like reduced-fat shmears, hummus, and peanut butter—a great way to add healthy fat to breakfast (or lunch). It also serves a Good Grains bagel that has an impressive 4 grams of fiber. In the mood for a salad? You can order any in a half-size. For kids, try the bagel dog (picture a Pig-in-a-Blanket with bagel-style bread as the “blanket”) and a fruit salad upgrade. Look for: The high-fiber Veg Out on a sesame seed bagel. Danger zone: “Overstuffed” size sandwiches are a calorie nightmare.

#10 Taco Del Mar 270 locations in 22 states You may have noticed that Baja-style Mexican cuisine—think: fresh ingredients and fish instead of beef and chicken—is a growing trend. Whole grains are easy to get here, with whole-wheat tortillas available as an alternative in burritos. The chain gets high marks for its new 320-calorie chicken burrito, available at most locations.
Look for: The 460- to 555-calorie Mondito-size burrito, which fills you up but keeps fat and sodium in check. Danger zone: The breakfasts. In particular, steer clear of the Mondo Breakfast Burritos, which are more than 1,000 calories.
So, even if you have to eat out there are options to keep you healthy and even clean!

More Clean Comfort Food! Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs with Pesto

2011-02-01T22:24:00.000-08:00

For virtually everyone across the country right now, you are snowed in, iced over, or just downright cold… it’s been a rough couple of days with the weather. NORMALLY, I would have just womaned up and gotten out my shovel calling it an excuse for more cardio and strength training, but 8 – 10 inches of fresh powder and drifts up to 3 feet facing me on my massive driveway made that a pipe dream. So, last night I sat warm and cozy in my kitchen sipping hot tea with lemon watching the snow flew past my windows (a friend of mine was snow blowing my driveway and walkways) I contemplated what every person must in a moment like this… carb loading. And I digressed rapidly into a spiral of carb fantasies from which I won’t quickly or easily recover.

My running partner doesn’t know it yet, but we are running a half marathon distance for our long run this week and so I let my mind wander about all the possibilities of the carbs I’d get to eat in preparation. It’s not an out-an-out glut fest, mind you, but I do get to increase my carbs in my later meals a couple days before the long run and it could, quite possibly, be one of my favorite parts of racing season; well outside the racing part. Let me put it in perspective. I love to cook and what Playboy is to men, Clean Eating Magazine is to me… It’s like crack on Christmas when I think about all the delicious possibilities that come in clean carbohydrate form… I rarely follow the recipe as is, and often times I change it on the fly but it is a great place for me to find some really great foods.
So, on a dark, cold, snowy night like last night all I could think about is one thing…baked spaghetti and meatballs.

Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs

Serves 6: Enough for my girls and I to have it twice! You can take liberties with several ingredients too switching it up each time or keeping it classic.

Ingredients
Olive oil spray
1/2 pound whole wheat pasta noodles (you don’t have to use spaghetti noodles… my girls like to pick out different kinds each time like elbow macaroni, fettuccini, angel hair. I have found some great gluten free pastas here for those of you with those concerns)
2 cloves of garlic pressed
2 TBSP Olive oil
1 ounce of Parmigianino cheese, finely grated, (I have used mozzarella in a pinch)
1/3 cup organic tofu (or cottage cheese)
6 ounces of lean ground turkey or chicken (note: chicken breast strips work well in this recipe too! Or for the vegetarians out thee you can leave this step out entirely!)
1 TBSP wheat germ (substitute with gluten free bread crumbs or omit to keep gluten free)
1 TBSP milk (almond milk works well here too)
2 1/2 cups roasted tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 handful baby spinach

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Lightly mist a large casserole dish with organic olive oil spray; and set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. drain rinse and then set aside.
In a food processor combine garlic, spinach, and basil until finely chopped. Add half of the cheese and the olive oil. Remove 1 TBSP of the blend and set aside in a medium bowl. Add tofu to the mixture and process until smooth.

Add turkey, wheat germ and milk to the bowl with the basil mixture and mix gently until well blended. Form mixture into small balls (about 24 total). Heat a skillet over medium/high heat. Mist with nonstick spray and add turkey balls until browned – about two minutes. Add tomatoes to the skillet reduce heat to medium and simmer until meatballs are cooked through – about 8 minutes. I sometimes add a bit more garlic with the tomatoes at this point as well.

Spoon 1/4 cup tomato-meatball mixture into bottom or casserole dish. Toss spaghetti with remainder of the mixture and transfer half to the casserole dish. Dot tops of noodles in the dish with half of basil mixture. Cover with remaining spaghetti mixture and dot top layer with remaining basil mixture and sprinkle with the remainder of the cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in oven until bubbling – about ten minutes.

Remove foil and bake an additional ten minutes. Let set for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information using whole wheat spaghetti pasta, tofu, and ground hamburger. Different ingredients will alter the nutrition.

Serving size: 6 ounce servings
Calories: 254
Carbs: 34
Fat: 8
Protein:14
Fiber: 6

Casey’s Journey

2011-01-30T22:23:00.000-08:00

As I’ve mentioned, I want to include posts from friends, family, and blog readers who have had their own health and wellbeing experiences that are so amazing they have to be shared. Casey is one of my best friends. She is an amazing running partner, friend, and support system. I’m so lucky to have her and her family in my life. She is one of the most caring people I have ever known and her story is something that many of you will resonate with. It’s beautiful and heart-breaking, hopeful and empowering. Enjoy Casey’s story in her own words…
Casey’s Journey The journey started for me a time ago... I was always an athletic, in shape girl, who ate whatever I wanted, and even in those college years, I did gain those “freshman 15”, but when you go from 100 pounds to 115, of muscle, I actually looked better! I had my first baby when I was in my early 20’s and still did okay with my weight. I probably got with within 10 pounds of my goal after I had him and again, being in the 120’s was “more” than what I was used too. My real journey started after I had baby number 2.

I was a young Mom of two beautiful children, working fulltime, husband who travels a lot for work, and all a sudden the days of bring a gym rat were hard to find again. Does anyone else feel guilty about working fulltime, kids in daycare all day, then taking them for another hour plus to the local gym at night when they are already in bed by 7? I’m not making excuses for this at all. I did take them with me in the stroller when it was nice out; I did work out at night when they were playing or asleep. The problem for me is I always have been able to do what I wanted; now I have responsibilities that dictate me and I felt so trapped.
The part I didn’t realize, (although I heard a thousand times!) is “You don’t take care of yourself, you aren’t good to anyone else” is actually true… Who would of thought? It took me a lot of years and tears to see that difference today… If you ever heard that before and need help to see it, I hope this helps…
Now fast forward after loosing the same and gaining the same 20 + pounds, about 4 times in the last 10 years and yes today, I can finally say I am done. Done with the self hate, done with the guilt of the kids needing to actually not have something “their way” for once, because “I” need to get my run in… It’s been such a long road of what I would just call self loathing… You ever sit there; think about the things in your life, where things turned? What has worked in the past? Where you went wrong, or right? Still for the life of you, you can’t figure out how to get out of it, out of the rut, out of the fog, out of the feeling sorry for yourself. You want “you” back, the person you were when you were happy, and the person who took care of themselves… This is how I did it.
I actually put myself first…
My newest, hardest journey for me started in September. I was sitting in the living room with my husband, staring at him, knowing what I have to say is probably going to make him twinge, but I had too… I had to have the courage to start that night and do it for me. I told him that I am at a point in my life, and it was almost a do it or stop whining mentality. It was hard to think of what I wanted to accomplish AGAIN! I just ran a half marathon in October of 2009, a year to the date, and with the same 20 pounds back on, and what it took to get it off, what going to require serious intervention. I wasn’t joking… No smiles were coming out that day, and it wasn’t like I had been thinking about it for a long time, it was a light bulb went off, I knew what it would take, and that was that!
I sat there across from the table from him, told him… “I’m signing up for Black Clover Fitness tomorrow.” You all might be thinking, so what, but I again, knew what it would take for me and that was a trainer, 3 days a week, and end of story. I have done boot camps in the past, other training type workouts, and that defiantly was what I needed, but I was in such bad shape, that I was scared to start there, without working up to it. Without a blink, he said, ok. Huge weight off my shoulders and the healing started immediately…
That was 4 months ago… 20 pounds lighter and endurance like never before. Running 10 milers with Carrie? I know she is running “with” me, but still… NEVER would of I thought 4 months ago would I be here… I am right back to where I was last year at that half, and I know I have more to go, but the real question is, what made me lose sight of this and put the weight back on again, and what I have I learned this time around, that I won’t fail? Light bulb moment… That’s easy…my diet.
I ran that half last year in 2:07, and at 155 pounds. Now I am not saying that 155 pounds is good or bad for anyone, just speaking for me, I knew I could do better! Because even if I was someone who was 130 pounds, healthy and strong at one point, those extra 25 pounds I carry on my frame today are not for me. I knew the only thing that I did then was work out and run a lot, and ate whatever I wanted. Well, being older now, that isn’t working out for me anymore. My diet changed. Not overnight, not in a week. It took me a month, and 2 months in I am still eating and changing things up.
I started first by keeping track of everything that I ate. I mean everything. If it was 5 crackers, I put it down, cheesecake, a few beers, pizza, turkey sandwich, and holy crap was I shocked to find out how much the calories were adding up… Then the opposite happened… I started eating healthy, still writing down all my food, my trainer at Black Clover, (Peter and he is awesome by the way!) told me to be around 1400 calories a day, and I was only getting in around 800-900! I wasn’t eating enough! This is crazy! I need to eat more? Healthy foods are fewer calories and you really need to eat up, to get the calories in, that your body needs to function! Huge portions, many times a day… I was able to eat every 2 hours. Funny thing is, the cravings stopped… When you feed yourself like you are meant to, I never felt like l wasn’t getting what I needed… Certain things I still have, because after all this is a lifestyle change and I am from Wisconsin! We like to watch football, hang out, have bonfires, and I wasn’t about to not let myself have the things I love over a “diet”. I just tried variations of things… But what I found out is when I did eat certain stuff that was bad, I wasn’t feeling well… That’s when I realized I did it. I finally figured out the missing link in my healthy life… Easily understood and put to me like this… “You are like a machine, high functioning sports car… Would you put that bad “stuff” in your gas tank? No…..then why would you think it would make your “engine” run?” Ahhaaaa….
That’s when the real me kicked in. The feeling good, the fogginess going away, the knowing that this is going to be how I am forever and that I am able to change the small things in our home to help my now 12 and 9 year old children grow up to be strong, and healthy and not battle the same issues I have had to overcome. I know it seems like so much to accomplish when you look at the end goal. Start today by writing your foods down, drink a glass of water, go for a walk, sign up at a local gym, or honestly sit there when you are done reading this and really, really think about what you need and please do it for YOU!
I don’t regret a single thing. I am happier, my family is happier. Funny how people around you, mimic what they see and what they vibe off. My family is so proud of what I have done. My oldest son just beams with excitement when I tell him that I ran 10 miles. He understands the dedication it takes and he puts that in on the court and baseball field too. I’m teaching them how to take care of themselves, how to make sure they are a priority in their life too. My daughter just had me sign her up for Girls on the Run, and I am so excited… If they can carry on their passion for what they do, just all from me taking care of myself… You can see how it’s never the wrong choice, (within reason, not ignoring your responsibilities) to put you first… The whole world around you will follow suit and you are making a positive imprint in those you love… ~ Casey

The Truth about Quality Carbohydrates and The Glycemic Index

2011-01-25T22:21:00.000-08:00

Whew! What the heck does that title mean? Admittedly, that blog title is a mouthful but an important one and can help you choose what kinds of carbohydrates are the most effective and most nutritious for your system. This post is going to put your brain to the test, there may be a little math (no calculators necessary), but hang in with me and I’ll give you some great tools and some basic take-aways so that this becomes an easy way to balance what carbs you are eating. Regardless of your reasons for changing your diet and eating clean, this information will serve you well.

By now, you all know my stance on food and eating clean. You are managing your carb combinations and your portion sizes at each of your 5-6 meals a day. I’m not a fan of diets with short term or unsustainable restrictions – like low carb diets that can put a strain on your liver long term and can decrease energy levels by depriving your body of much-needed energy and fuel our bodies need from carbohydrates. Not to mention that paying attention only to eating protein can lead us down a path towards fatty protein sources all too frequently. Take the lunch I had with a friend where she ordered a double cheeseburger without the bun and blissfully told me how she was staying on her all protein diet perfectly with her meal selection and how later that day she was having pizza but only the cheese and meat topping not the bread so she was okay. YIKES! Or the flip side where carb lovers are told that they can have a predominantly carbohydrate driven diet and see success but miss out on all the benefits of healthy fats and amino acid rich protein sources.

With my rant drawing to a close, it begs the question - what is the deal with carbohydrates being at the center of so much nutritional? Well, most people I talk to want to lose weight or fuel their bodies for a marathon or some kind of fitness routine. That’s common and all well and good, but if they neglect to recognize the idea that not all carbs are created equally and how our body tissue absorbs those calories is vastly different then there is a problem. To give our muscles a fighting chance to beat out fat in the battle of the bulge we have to keep a few things in mind.

1. Calories are important…
If (if being the operative word here) your current daily calorie number is the right one for you to meet your weight loss/fitness goals, then this step is important. You don’t want to overindulge or under nourish your body. But you also don’t need to bring your calculator with you everywhere and feel yourself a failure if you are over by 23, under by 40, or even over by 100 for the day. The quality of these calories is what I am going to emphasize.

2. Fat is Greedy.
Fat is, well, it’s fat for a reason. Whatever you eat and but is subsequently left as a surplus in your system or something your body doesn’t absorb or burn off, your fat will attack and convert those calories into more fat and not give your muscles any chance to get in on the action. That’s right – protein, carbs, fats, ANYTHING leftover is going to get converted to fat. By taking in carbohydrates and healthy fats that are absorbed into muscle tissues more slowly, you give your muscles a level playing field and an opportunity to convert those calories to ENERGY not FAT.

3. You are what you eat… (and when you eat it)
You have heard my spiel before on this subject – focus on staying clean in your routine – lots of water and 5 – 6 meals a day every 2 1/2 – 3 hours pairing protein with complex carbs and adding some starchy carbs and healthy fats in moderation. What you may not is that glycemic index decodes the rate at which those carbohydrates are absorbed known as Glycemic Response and can help in determining which ones should be eaten with the most frequency to add the most value and give those muscles a chance to get first dibs on what you eat.

So what is the Glycemic index and why should I care about it?
The Glycemic Index, GI, is a scale that ranks carbohydrate-rich foods in order of how they affect body's blood sugar levels (glucose) compared to glucose or white bread. The GI of glucose is 100. Translation – that’s the high end of the spectrum. High in this case isn’t good. So to all you white bread fans out there, this next part is not going to make you very happy.

Not all the carbs have the same effect on body once they are eaten. After we eat, foods that contain carbohydrates, our blood glucose level rises with a speed called Glycemic Response. Glycemic response is influenced by the amount of the food we eat, type of the food, and how the food is processed or prepared. When we eat a boiled potato, glucose levels spike in milliseconds. With legumes or fruits and vegetables, they go up in about 30 minutes. Translation: the lower the glycemic response the better the quality of food.

Foods that have lower Glycemic Response,Glycemic Index, cause only small fluctuations in blood sugar levels or insulin levels reducing the risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes in the long term and helping the body to most effectively process calories you take into your system. Translation: keeping those numbers low are not only incredibly healthy for you but they will help you lose and maintain weight.

Glycemic Index of Common Foods

What are the numbers and what do they mean?

o Low GI foods are foods with a GI less than 55. They cause a slower and
lower rise in blood glucose levels. Examples are Oatmeal, Apples, and Sweet Potatoes.
o Intermediate GI foodsare foods with a GI between 55 and 70. They cause
blood glucose levels to go up at a moderate rate. Examples are Pineapple, New Potatoes, and Mangos.
o High GI foods are foods with a GI greater than 70. They cause a rapid rise in
blood glucose levels. Examples are White rice, Cornflakes, and Watermelon.
A few additional nuggets in case you aren’t convinced just yet… recent studies from Harvard School of Public Health indicate that the risks of diseases such as type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease are strongly related to the GI of the overall diet. In 1999, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommended that people in industrialized countries base their diets on low-GI foods in order to prevent the most common diseases of affluence, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Translation: Some of the biggest killers in our country can be prevented by keeping these numbers in check on a consistent basis.

Why does any of this matter?

The jabber around food these days can be overwhelming, but rest assured the tips I give aren’t around fad diets or crazy ideas – i.e. the Cookie diet. Yes, there is a cookie diet, and NO it’s not a good one. Bottom line: It comes down to simple choices and nutritious foods and what our body does when it’s assaulted and/or nourished with calories and food. The moment we choose something to eat and it enters our body, it ignites a process, engages tissues, organs, and systems and that has benefits (positives), and consequences (negatives). We have to power and the knowledge (hopefully I am contributing to that) to decide for ourselves which path we are going to take. Our bodies will thank us if we choose wisely.

More to come
Food fads aren’t my thing and eating clean is a lifestyle not a diet. There are some good philosophies on food these days, the anti-inflammatory philosophy is one I am a fan of – especially as an athlete who has been struggling lately with shin splints and some joint soreness and swelling. I have been incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods deliberately to mitigate some of that so you’ll be seeing more to come on this one. It has had great results for me and it falls directly into the framework of eating clean it’s just more focused on the foods in that framework that can eliminate or minimize inflammation. It proves how many benefits exist when someone eats clean. So stay tuned on that one!

Chasing the Dream…

2011-01-24T22:21:00.000-08:00

Recently, I spoke with a friend of mine who was nearing her weight loss goals. These goals were of significance as she has been battling excess weight most of her life. Losing 40 plus pounds by walking and eating clean, she was a testament to adopting meaningful changes and making them work for yourself. Becoming an active healthy example for her family she was invigorated in her life and a bubbling presence to be around these days (not to mention that her skin and hair looked amazing). She and I met over egg whites and green tea one morning to talk about all her success. I had not seen her in some time and she was down another 10 pounds. She excitedly chatted about how often she walked, the way she was cooking for herself and her family, and her eyes lit up as she mentioned the kayaking trip she and her husband were planning for early summer. I was thrilled to see her excitement and near the end of breakfast as she pushed the last of her omelet around her plate I told her how happy I was for her that she was so close to her goal, a goal that had eluded her all her life. Her unicorn. That’s when she dropped the bombshell. Sighing and visibly shrinking in her seat she said, “What will I do once I get there? This goal has been in me for so long, I don’t know a life without it. I’ve always wanted this… it’s so close but I’m afraid of what will happen when I get there.”

And there it was. It was like a shift in the weather, like the sunshine was sucked out of the room. She was terrified of getting what she wanted most. That getting to her summit would signify the end of an odyssey and would initiate a let down off a major high and anything to follow was new terrain she couldn’t possibly fathom. She was afraid that the beauty of the dream might be more beautiful than the dream itself and not strong enough to keep her going. Sitting there in a fully transformed body, I realized that she had one battle left in her that would have to happen inside. One that all of us are faced with and that what she chose to do now would ultimately determine the trajectory of her success short and long term. Would she burn out or would she ignite new dreams and evolve into herself and find new unicorns to chase?
I believe that is the thing that is so often responsible for holding us back from achievement and long term success. Fear of failure, fear of success (yep, fear of success), fear of change. Fear can be immobilizing but the only way we can expect to have our lives forever evolving for the better in a way we can sustain is by facing that fear, acknowledging its presence, and doing what’s necessary to move past it.

So many of the perceived successes on our journey towards wellbeing are seen and measured by what is visible from the outside…pounds gone, inches lost, and improved performance; but where the true change lies in inside of us. That is where we have to get our minds, hearts, and souls aligned so that we aren’t just successful meeting short term goals but we are successful in effectively making positive movements in our lives that are everlasting. They are a series of changes that will persist our entire lives that constitute a cycle of constant evolution. Those changes are altogether different and initially invisible to the outside world looking in, but those changes are the ones that will guide everything about the rest of our lives and will ultimately be visible because they will guide our actions, behaviors, and lifestyles in a new and more enriching, more connected, fulfilled way that will impact every person we come in contact with.

Our Deepest Fear…
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Fear cannot keep us from reaching our goals because the thing is, there will always be a new dream to chase down. A new and equally elusive unicorn to capture, and as we evolve so will our goals. As we meet them one-by-one we’ll be not just making ourselves better but we’ll be bettering the lives of those we touch.

We finished our meal with small talk and smiles and after breakfast, standing in front of the restaurant, I hugged my friend tightly looked her in the eyes and told her again how proud I was of her success. Still seemingly tinged with some doubt, she thanked me and started walking towards her car. Turning back, she called out to me, “Hey, so tell me about this running thing that you do? Maybe chasing my next dream requires running shoes…” Atta girl…

Others Eating Clean…

2011-01-24T22:20:00.000-08:00

While I enjoy a clean lifestyle, I know that many voices and experiences will enrich that message for those of you who read these posts on a regular basis. I wanted my aunt Jana to talk about her journey and she sent me a beautifully written post about her living clean experience that I had to share.

“In 1970 I turned 15 years old and remember distinctly that Tab, the first sugar free soda had been introduced about 7 years earlier. For a “dieter” like me Tab was like liquid gold, you could drink all you wanted, and it was good for you because it didn’t have calories. When I attended my first Weight Watching meeting at 15, I was so glad because I really thought I was going to learn how to eat and not have to worry the rest of my life. And here I am 41 years later realizing that an axiom that I have heard in 12 step meetings applies to the path I am on now. It is said that “you can’t think your way into right living, but you can act your way into right thinking.” What could that possibly have to do with this blog posting? My niece Carrie asked me to be a guest writer for her blog. At the end of last year I started reading her blog with intrigue. I have a friend who is a Nutrition Coach as well and as I read Carrie’s blog and talked frequently with my friend I began to think maybe there was something to “eating clean”. There has been a lot of illness in my genealogy, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, pulmonary lung disease, all happening in my immediate family. Different than my family I am a perfect picture of health, low blood pressure, cholesterol good, bone density good, active (not like Carrie) but strong and healthy for a 55 year old woman. I realized I want more of that. And more for me was being mindful of what I was putting in my body as I prepare for the sunset of my career and life.
At the end of 2010, I sat down and asked what I wanted to be able to say that I did different in 2011, and the answer was eating in a way that I could be proud of, that I would know was good for my body, mind and soul. On January 1, when many others were starting a diet I decided to eat more, except it would be more of the right things. I decided to eat clean. You know what I am most proud of? I haven’t had a diet soda for 22 days, and for some of you that isn’t a big deal, but you see for me growing up on Tab it really is, it has been a mind shift for me. As the axiom says I could think about all the things that I should be eating or not eating, but once I really acted on it I am thinking right. I am taking the action to buy organic blueberries, have you ever noticed how different they look from the non-organic; I mean really how would they get them so big without something to make them grow. I am thinking now about the things I buy and that is changing the way I act. I don’t know if that makes any sense but it works.
I am also noticing that I am enjoying cooking again. As a single woman I had gotten lazy, it was easier to buy the prepared dinners than to cook for myself. As I write this I have a huge pot of soup in the crock pot that I will eat on all week. I don’t think it is that I enjoy cooking but I enjoy nurturing my body with good things. What results have I seen? The biggest is in how I act, shop and respond to labels. I have lost 4 pounds, and I would suspect some inches. But once again for me the biggest gift is what I know I am doing in acting right for my body. I enjoy being conscious in the food’s I buy, (or don’t buy) in the preparation eat tasty and filling food. And I believe that at the end of the year I will look back and see a leaner version of me.” -Jana Heckerman

Eating Clean and Mud Mafia Updates Podcast

2011-01-23T22:19:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to be a guest on the latest Fitness Tech Podcast again (this makes the THIRD appearance for me) with Jamie Eikmeier and Jim Collison as hosts. Great to listen to on a snowy day! I talk recipes, success stories, and the brand new runners on the Mud Mafia!!! Welcome Liz Davis, Nick Liston, Lauren Ruby, Dan Svoboda, Carla Adams, Kat McKorkle, Dan Campolieta, Dave Hegner, Becki Klitzke, Nate Ferguson, Casey Sinz, Chad Bishoff, and Doug Snodgrass!

Jim included some funny outtakes from the beginning and end of the podcast, so be sure to listen all the way to the end.

The Fitness Tech Podcast #13 Eating Clean Revisited and Mud Mafia Success

theaverageguy.tv

You can contact the show at podcast@theaverageguy.tv and follow Jim at http://twitter.com/#!/jcollison or follow ME at twitter http://twitter.com/#!/themudmafia

or Download the podcast

The Simple Power of a Clean Pizza

2011-01-23T22:18:00.000-08:00

A few weeks back I introduced my friend and favorite running partner (we did ten miles today by the way) Casey to my amazingly simple and clean pizza recipe! Since that introduction, she has taken it home, served them for friends, family, and for her kids. Recently, she sent me some pictures of her older son and his friend making the clean pizzas for a snack on a Saturday night. Nothing makes me happier than seeing kiddos making healthy choices and with a great mom like Casey, they are bound to keep making them. :-) What an amazing and loving thing she is doing by teaching her kids the value of these kinds of healthier food choices… these are the kinds of pictures that really make me smile. Way to go Case!

Clean Kid-Friendly Cooking!

2011-01-22T22:18:00.000-08:00

This weekend has been ground zero of clean eating in my house! With nearly non-stop snow, we’ve had to really have some fun indoors and the kitchen is a great place to do it! In my house cooking is a family affair and we had some big things we wanted to make! My kiddos are very active participants in the process! In my house we have three weekend food traditions – Friday nights we make our own pizzas and play Wii or watch a movie together, Saturdays we bake something clean and delicious that we can freeze and enjoy throughout the week, and Sunday mornings we make “kick you in the face pancakes”. There is a great story about my younger daughter threatening to kick our family dog in the face if she tried to take her pancakes that earned them that name… check out that recipe here. Friday nights we used to order pizza. We obviously don’t do that anymore!! Now we not only get to spend more quality time together but the girls get to customize their personal pizzas and learn about fresh ingredients!

This Saturday we had an epic day of baking and cooking including some delicious and amazingly clean cinnamon rolls, corn tortilla chicken and cheese enchiladas, and a delicious white chicken chili. I love letting my daughters get involved in the process and they are learning how to cook with wholesome ingredients, prepare clean food, and enjoy the process of spending time in the kitchen.

The cinnamon rolls were old school, so with the three hour long rounds of letting the yeast rise it took about four hours total but with all the blustery snow outside and the breaks for Wii Dance Party it was fun. Taylor had a friend over, Kennedy, who helped and the girls not only made the cinnamon rolls, but their own enchiladas! The cinnamon rolls were delicious and the chili hit the spot. Here are the recipes we used for our fun day at home in the kitchen. Gracious Pantry is where we found the cinnamon roll recipe, my head is where the chili recipe came from. :-)

Clean Eating Cinnamon Buns
(Makes approximately 15 rolls)

Note: This recipe will require 3 hours of total rising time. So plan accordingly.

Cinnamon Roll Ingredients
1 packet active dry yeast
1/2 tsp. honey
1/8 cup warm water (100 – 115 degrees F)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil + a little extra on reserve
1 egg
3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

Cinnamon Filling Ingredients
1 cup honey
1 tbsp. molasses
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tbsp. cinnamon

Topping Ingredients (optional)
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

(This will all be done in one large mixing bowl)

Step 1 – Pour the yeast into the bowl and mix in the warm water and the 1/2 tsp. honey. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Step 2 – Now, add the almond milk, 1/4 cup honey, salt olive oil and eggs to the yeast mixture. Whisk gently until combined.

Step 3 – Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour. When it’s partially mixed and too thick to mix with the spoon any longer, begin kneading by hand. This will be very sticky at first, but you’ll find that the more you knead, the more the gluten starts to pull everything together. In the end, you’ll have a fairly firm ball of dough. So keep kneading (about 10-15 minutes).

Step 4 – Coat the ball of dough in a thin layer of olive oil and set back in the bowl. Cover with a towel and let stand for 1 hour to rise.

Step 5 – Punch down the dough, and cover again. Let it sit for another hour.

Step 6 – Punch down the dough one last time, cover and let sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Step 7 – In a medium mixing bowl, blend all your filling ingredients together. You should have a nice, thick, molasses-like filling when you are done mixing.

Step 8 – On a generously floured surface, roll out your dough. Again, be generous with the flour. If you are not, the dough will stick to your counter making the rolling process a real chore. Roll the dough into a rectangle. Cut with a knife if necessary and place the cut offs in the center of the dough to be rolled back in with the rolling pin (no wasting good dough here!) In fact, if you look closely at the photo above, you can see the lines in the dough where I rolled my cut-offs back in.

Step 9 – Pour the honey mixture onto the middle of your rolled dough.

Step 10 – Smear on your filling. Make sure it only touches 3 of the four sides of your rectangle.

Step 11 – Roll the dough, starting with the side that has the honey mixture up to the edge.

Step 12 – When you get it rolled almost all the way, use your fingers to “paint” some water onto the edge of the dough that does not have any honey mixture on it. Give the dough one final roll so the dough will be “glued shut” by the water.
Note: If you get to this point and feel like you should just throw the whole thing in the trash, you’re probably doing it right.

Step 13 – Cut the roll into approximately 1 inch strips, and place each strip in an oiled baking pan or casserole dish. You want the dish to be too big for all your rolls as they will still need room for rising and baking.

Step 14 – Cover the dish with a towel and let the dough rise, one last time, for 1 hour.

Step 15 – Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Step 16 – If using the pecans, sprinkle them on now. Place rolls in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Step 15 – Allow to cool and squeeze some honey over the top of the rolls.

Eat and Enjoy!

Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1 roll

Calories: 188
Total Fat: 4 gm
Saturated Fats: 1 gm
Trans Fats: 0 gm
Cholesterol: 20 mg
Sodium: 60 mg
Carbohydrates: 35 gm
Dietary fiber: 5 gm
Sugars: 6 gm
Protein: 7 gm
Estimated Glycemic Load: 18

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chicken

1 can garbanzo beans

1 can whole kernal corn

1 can Rotel Chili

3 cups organic chicken stock

sea salt and pepper to taste

1 TBSP fresh basil

2 TBSP fresh garlic minced

Brown chicken and add all ingredients to a crock pot. Simmer on low for several hours. Serve hot (and with the cinnamon rolls!).

Happy Clean Eating!!!

Party Pleaser

2011-01-20T22:17:00.000-08:00

I am a HUGE Green Bay Packers fan and this weekend they are playing for the NFC Championship. I am going to a friend’s house and want to bring something clean but classic football Sunday! I have a new take on an old classic that will delight even the biggest guys in the group!

Mexican 5-Layer Dip

Finally! A guilt-free 5-layer party dip! Have a fiesta with fresh flavors that won’t make you hesitate to dip your chip again and again.

Serves: 27
Hands-on time: 40 minutes
Total time: 3 hours, 45 minutes (includes soaking and cooking of beans)
You Save: 60 calories, 5.5 g total fat, 4.5 g saturated fat and 479 mg sodium
CATEGORY:
Gluten Free, Vegetarian

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup dried pinto beans
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 small white onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 to 3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped (about 1/3 cup)
3/4 packed cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, divided
Juice of 2 limes, divided
1/2 tsp sea salt, plus additional to taste, divided
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
6 oz reduced-fat cheddar cheese, grated (about 1½ cups)
1 1/2 cups reduced-fat sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

Rinse beans in a colander and pick through, discarding any debris or small stones. Place in a medium saucepan and add enough water to cover beans. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 2 minutes. Turn off heat and let beans rest for 1 hour. Drain beans in a colander and rinse. Wash saucepan, return beans to saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low to maintain a steady simmer. Cover and cook for 1½ to 2 hours or until beans are very tender. Reserve about 2/3 cup cooking liquid, drain beans and set aside to cool. (Or, cover and refrigerate beans in their cooking liquid for up to 4 days. Reserve 2/3 cup liquid and drain before proceeding with recipe.)
In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeños and about two-thirds of cilantro. Squeeze juice of 1 lime over tomato mixture and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
In a food processor or blender, combine avocados, remaining cilantro and remaining juice of 1 lime. Purée until slightly chunky. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Set aside.
Place beans and 1/3 cup reserved cooking liquid in a food processor (or use a powerful blender or mash by hand with a potato masher). Process until you have a slightly chunky purée, adding additional cooking liquid, 1 tbsp at a time, as needed to reach desired consistency. Add 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper. Pulse several times to combine. Transfer beans to a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish or large glass bowl and spread into an even layer.
Sprinkle cheese evenly over beans. Dollop scoops of avocado mixture over cheese and use a spatula to spread into a thin layer. Dollop scoops of sour cream over avocado and spread into a thin layer. With a slotted spoon (to drain any liquid), spread tomato mixture evenly over sour cream. Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to 4 hours. If desired, serve with Clean Eating Tortilla Chips. I also like to make my own chips with corn tortillas I cut and bake in the oven.
Nutrients Per 1/4-Cup Serving: Calories 86, Total Fat 4.5 g, Sat. Fat 1.5 g, Carbs 8 g, Fiber 2 g, Sugars 1.5 g, Protein 4 g, Sodium 87 mg, Cholesterol 8 mg
Go Packers!

Clean Comfort Food

2011-01-18T22:16:00.000-08:00

One of the great things about cooking and eating clean is all the things you can start to make when you let your creative juices flow. It started snowing outside again and the bitter cold weather made me long for a warm, comfort food kind of meal. I decided to throw together a breakfast casserole with what I had on hand. It came out bubbly and smelling delicious! This casserole will give me four servings! Yum!
Here is what I put together:

Turkey, Cheese and Egg White Delight
1 Cup of cubed Ezekiel bread (Gluten free bread could work here too)
2 slices of cooked organic smoked turkey breast cubed (Turkey sausage, turkey bacon, etc would work well here too)
1 teaspoon organic Italian seasonings
1/3 cup organic skim milk
1/3 cup egg whites
1/2 cup organic shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup organic salsa
1 plum tomato sliced
organic chili pepper to taste
Fresh basil
One: Preheat Oven to 375. Lightly mist a small casserole dish with organic olive oil cooking spray and line the bottom with the cubed bread.
Two: Add half of the milk and the chili pepper to a food processor and mix adding the egg white mixture, the rest of the milk, half the cheese, the salsa, and the Italian seasoning. Pulse until well mixed.
Three: Pour mixture over bread cubes and then top with turkey cubes. Finish with an even layer of the Roma Tomatoes. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and bake until puffed and golden brown on the top – about 40 minutes. Sprinkle with basil. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Nutrition (makes four servings):
Calories: 216 Fat: 4 Carbohydrates: 17 Protein: 25 Fiber: 3

Peanut Butter and Jelly Time! The Clean Version!

2011-01-17T22:15:00.000-08:00

Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches are a favorite in my house…when you are eating on the run and need protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates this is the PERFECT and DELICIOUS way to do it for you and your hungry kiddos! This is the version I serve up to my girls. Sometimes, I’ll add a little honey or I’ll use Almond Butter instead of Peanut Butter. Another famous version of this sandwich would incorporate bananas instead of berries.

Ingredients

1 slice whole wheat bread or wrap (I use Ezekiel bread… gluten free bread would be a great substitute here too)
2 TBS natural peanut butter
1/3 cup fresh or unsweetened frozen strawberries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or bananas work here too)
optional: 1 teaspoon honey

Instructions

- Put peanut butter on top of bread
- Slice or smash berries and spread on top

Tips & Bonus Information

Around 275 calories! (check your bread calories and your PB. This is with Ezekiel bread at 80 calories a slice and 180 calories for the 2 TBSP of peanut butter. Berries and/or fruit is around 25 calories) I like eating this with a cup of organic skim milk! Great snack or meal on the go!

Yield: 1 servings
Preparation Time: 2 minutes

Spotlight Super food: Quinoa!

2011-01-17T22:14:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite foods in the whole grains family is Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah). I use it in lots of recipes because not only is it high in protein, fiber, and amino acids (vegans pay attention) but it’s quite delicious as well! As a rice or noodle substitute and even as a substitute for oatmeal in the morning!
Quinoa is an ancient food that is not yet well known in North America. It has been cultivated in South American Andes since at least 3,000 B.C. and has been a staple food of millions of native inhabitants. The ancient Incas called quinoa the "mother grain" and revered it as sacred. Each year at planting time it was traditional for the Inca leader to plant the first quinoa seed using a solid gold shovel! Quinoa was used to sustain Incan armies, which frequently marched for many days eating a mixture of quinoa and fat, known as "war balls." Beginning with the Spanish conquest in the 1500s, there was a 400-year decline in the production of quinoa. It became a minor crop at that time and was grown only by peasants in remote areas for local consumption.
Although not a common item in most kitchens today, quinoa is an amino acid-rich (protein) seed that has a fluffy, creamy, slightly crunchy texture and a somewhat nutty flavor when cooked. Quinoa is available in your local health food stores throughout the year.
Most commonly considered a grain, quinoa is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard. It is a recently rediscovered ancient "grain" once considered "the gold of the Incas."

Health Benefits
Not only is quinoa high in protein, but the protein it supplies is complete protein, meaning that it includes all nine essential amino acids. Not only is quinoa's amino acid profile well balanced, making it a good choice for vegans concerned about adequate protein intake, but quinoa is especially well-endowed with the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa features a host of other health-building nutrients. Because quinoa is a very good source of manganese as well as a good source of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, this "grain" may be especially valuable for persons with migraine headaches, diabetes and atherosclerosis.

Help for Migraine Headaches
If you are prone to migraines, try adding quinoa to your diet. Quinoa is a good source of magnesium, a mineral that helps relax blood vessels, preventing the constriction and rebound dilation characteristic of migraines. Increased intake of magnesium has been shown to be related to a reduced frequency of headache episodes reported by migraine sufferers. Quinoa is also a good source of riboflavin, which is necessary for proper energy production within cells. Riboflavin (also called vitamin B2) has been shown to help reduce the frequency of attacks in migraine sufferers, most likely by improving the energy metabolism within their brain and muscle cells.

Cardiovascular Health
Quinoa is a very good source of magnesium, the mineral that relaxes blood vessels. Since low dietary levels of magnesium are associated with increased rates of hypertension, ischemic heart disease and heart arrhythmias, this ancient grain can offer yet another way to provide cardiovascular health for those concerned about atherosclerosis.

Prevent Heart Failure with a Whole Grains Breakfast
Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization among the elderly in the United States. Success of drug treatment is only partial (ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers are typically used; no evidence has found statins safe or effective for heart failure), and its prognosis remains poor. Follow up of 2445 discharged hospital patients with heart failure revealed that 37.3% died during the first year, and 78.5% died within 5 years. (Arch Intern Med. 2007 Mar 12;167(5):490-6.;Eur Heart J. 2006 Mar;27(6):641-3.)
Since consumption of whole grain products and dietary fiber has been shown to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and heart attack, Harvard researchers decided to look at the effects of cereal consumption on heart failure risk and followed 21,376 participants in the Physicians Health Study over a period of 19.6 years. After adjusting for confounding factors (age, smoking, alcohol consumption, vegetable consumption, use of vitamins, exercise, and history of heart disease), they found that men who simply enjoyed a daily morning bowl of whole grain (but not refined) cereal had a 29% lower risk of heart failure. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Oct 22;167(19):2080-5.

Significant Cardiovascular Benefits for Postmenopausal Women
Eating a serving of whole grains, such as quinoa, at least 6 times each week is an especially good idea for postmenopausal women with high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Additional Benefits
Quinoa is a very good source of manganese and a good source of copper, two minerals that serve as cofactors for the superoxide dismutase enzyme. Superoxide dismutase is an antioxidant that helps to protect the mitochondria from oxidative damage created during energy production as well as guard other cells, such as red blood cells, from injury caused by free
According to the American Lung Association, almost 20 million Americans suffer from asthma, which is reported to be responsible for over 14 million lost school days in children, and an annual economic cost of more than $16.1 billion.
Increasing consumption of whole grains and fish could reduce the risk of childhood asthma by about 50%, suggests the International Study on Allergy and Asthma in Childhood (Tabak C, Wijga AH, Thorax).
Quinoa and other whole grains are a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body's use of glucose and insulin secretion.
The FDA permits foods that contain at least 51% whole grains by weight (and are also low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol) to display a health claim stating consumption is linked to lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Now, research suggests regular consumption of whole grains also reduces risk of type 2 diabetes. (van Dam RM, Hu FB, Diabetes Care).
The whole kernel of truth: as part of your healthy way of eating, whole grains can significantly lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Enjoy at least 3 servings a day.

Description
We usually think of quinoa as a grain, but it is actually the seed of a plant that, as its scientific name Chenopodium quinoa reflects, is related to beets, chard and spinach. These amino acid-rich seeds are not only very nutritious, but also very delicious. Cooked quinoa seeds are fluffy and creamy, yet slightly crunchy. They have a delicate, somewhat nutty flavor. While the most popular type of quinoa is a transparent yellow color, other varieties feature colors such as orange, pink, red, purple or black. Although often difficult to find in the marketplace, the leaves of the quinoa plant are edible, with a taste similar to its green-leafed relatives, spinach, chard and beets.

How to Select and Store
Quinoa is generally available in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins. Just as with any other food that you may purchase in the bulk section, make sure that the bins containing the quinoa are covered and that the store has a good product turnover so as to ensure its maximal freshness. Whether purchasing quinoa in bulk or in a packaged container, make sure that there is no evidence of moisture. When deciding upon the amount to purchase, remember that quinoa expands during the cooking process to several times its original size. If you cannot find it in your local supermarket, look for it at natural foods stores, which usually carry this super grain.
Store quinoa in an airtight container. It will keep for a longer period of time, approximately three to six months, if stored in the refrigerator.

Prep and Recipe Tips
Here’s the basics on cooking quinoa. Drain and place washed quinoa in a saucepan with 2 cups water to 1 cup quinoa. Add a pinch of sea salt, bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook about 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa looks translucent. You will see the white outer germ forming a ring around the grain.
Quinoa is great in a number of dishes including salads, side dishes, breakfast cereal and lots of main dishes. Here are some ideas to try:

Toss some quinoa with cut up carrots, cucumbers and celery. Add ranch or vinaigrette dressing. I add grilled chicken to mine and sometimes some lime juice for a little kick.
Use quinoa for any whole grain salad recipe. Here is a simple idea: Mix cooked quinoa with Mandarin oranges, sliced scallions and chopped red peppers. Toss with some tamari, olive oil and orange juice.
Cook the quinoa in vegetable or chicken broth for extra flavor.
Make pilaf by stir-frying your favorite veggies in olive oil and adding the cooked quinoa then season with tamari, herbs or salt and pepper. Or try this Quinoa Pilaf with Dried Cherries and Toasted Pecans. Stir together hot cooked quinoa with hot cooked black beans. Add some chopped jicama, salsa fresca, ground cumin and cilantro.
For breakfast, cook quinoa and add chopped walnuts or almonds, dried and/or fresh fruit. My favorite: Cooked quinoa with sliced bananas and raisins, topped with chopped roasted pecans and a tsp of honey.
Got leftover steak or other meat? Slice it, add some cooked quinoa, any chopped veggies and balsamic vinaigrette.
Throw a handful of washed quinoa into a pot of soup in place of noodles or rice.
If you enjoy chicken salad like I do, then you will love this chicken salad with grapes and quinoa.
This quinoa dish, primavera with chicken, peas and asparagus, is a complete meal and even my picky kiddos eat this one right up!
Quinoa makes a great substitute for rice for many favorite dishes such as chicken and rice, Spanish rice, paella, and stuffed peppers. Here’s a good recipe for quinoa-stuffed peppers.

For you vegetarians and vegans out there, a friend of mine told me that quinoa, being high in protein also makes a great ground meat substitute for his family as well. They use it in place of the ground beef in sloppy joes, spaghetti, and tacos.

Transforming your body...

2011-01-15T22:13:00.000-08:00

One should eat to live, not live to eat. ~Cicero, Rhetoricorum LV
I am asked questions all the time. Friends, family, emails from blog readers, and at the gym when I train. I was even stopped by an elderly woman in the locker room at a gym yesterday about arm workouts when we were in the steam room! People ask me what eating clean means, what I do to workout, how to eat clean, recipes, and most frequently how it will help them achieve weight loss goals. I try to downplay that because eating clean is about finding a lifestyle and I want the focus to be on long term change instead of short term weight loss goals BUT I think it's time to talk about body transformation. I don’t want this blog post to sound like an infomercial and I think it’s important to think of losing weight with Eating Clean as a byproduct of giving your body the nutrition and nourishment it needs and it deserves but Eating Clean is the healthiest and most dramatic way to transform your body’s appearance.

We live in an instant gratification society – let’s face it, that’s why most people find themselves heavy in the first place. Most heavy people don’t have a good reason – it’s what you put in your mouth. You are what you eat. It’s just that simple. When you Eat Clean you are not only directly initiating a process that will fire up your metabolism and melt off excess pounds but you are allowing your body to digest and consume foods that are so nutritious and wholesome so it will function at it’s best capacity. That allows the fat stores and even excess liquid to melt off and reveal the muscles underneath. For example, people frequently comment on my arms and their shape and strength. I do lift regularly, but I attribute most of their shape to the way that I eat and how I maintain that healthy lifestyle consistently.

I say this as a person who has been there. I am my own success story. Weight has always been something I have obsessed over. I wasn’t always making healthy life decisions. I didn’t always eat well and I smoked throughout most of high school. I quit when I was in college, and am proud of that, but eating enough and too much were always out of balance. My weight has fluctuated but after my last baby was born (she’s three and a half now) I found myself at my heaviest. I attributed most of it to baby weight but when my baby was one and those pounds were still there, I knew I couldn’t use that as an excuse anymore. I needed to find a way to live, be healthy, take care of my family, but ultimately be the best version of myself. I had always been an athlete growing up and as an adult had maintained a healthy weight on a regular basis but I wanted more for myself. This picture is of me at my heaviest around 168 pounds. I was miserable and tired, unhappy with my clothing size and never wanted to look in the mirror. I knew there was a better “me” inside, but I had to get to her. I ate all the time, when I was happy, sad, bored, it was an easy thing to give myself and I thought it made me happy but every time I put something in my mouth I knew I shouldn’t, I felt guilty and knew that my life didn’t have to be that way. I had control over what I put in my mouth and I needed to get it figured out once and for all.

I started off with a different mindset. I didn’t want to go on a diet and I didn’t give myself a timeline. Diets just don’t work long term and I like to eat. I also didn’t want to think I only had to change for a short period of time to get to an outcome I couldn’t maintain. You can’t limit your calories and starve your body long term. You’ll lose weight but for how long? It just won’t be something you can sustain. I wanted to be healthy. I believed that if I lived a healthier lifestyle that the weight would come off permanently as a natural byproduct of eating better and working out in a way that made sense for me and I could maintain doing long term. Eating clean became my long term solution. Ultimately, I lost over 40 pounds. It came off in a controlled way and I didn’t weigh myself often – I didn’t need to – my prediction was correct. Eating clean and exercise made the difference.

How did I do it? I began by eating gluten free – this helped me remove most processed foods from my diet. I began reading as much as I could about eating clean, vegetarians, vegans, gluten free eating and determined that eating clean was the best fit for me. With the help of some clean eating friends and great books and websites I was able to adopt the changes slowly and now they are second nature to me. So to answer the weight loss question – Eating Clean is the way to go and it helped me lose a lot of weight and that has been life changing in many ways in and of itself. But this story is so much bigger than that…

This journey has taught me many things. I want to get out of bed and feel good about what I’m doing and the choices I’m making. I realized that am worth the changes I needed to undertake- even the hard ones to get to my goals and the weight loss was a great thing for me but more than that I began to FEEL better. Stronger, more alert, stronger, the best version of myself and that’s been the greatest gift. I surround myself with people who are positive and supportive and that network is like my army and my support system. I have days where I am not on target but I am forgiving – it’s a lifestyle after all. Losing weight is just one part of the puzzle. So keep making healthy choices, stay focused on the process and the learning and the weight will follow. Make 2011 the year where you make the changes you want for yourself! Stay inspired!
-Carrie

Table for One!

2011-01-12T22:12:00.000-08:00

Okay, so at the sake of totally calling myself out, even when I cook for my family I am also a single mom and regularly cook single meals for myself as well. The problem is, I don’t want a ton of leftovers in my fridge and I never want to throw anything away or waste something just because the package contained more than I could eat?
If you usually cook for one or two people — or if members of your family rarely have time to eat together — you probably face such frustrations. But small-quantity cooking can be made easier and more interesting. Here's how:

Shop with convenience in mind. Buy frozen foods in bulk — fruits, vegetables, chicken breasts or fish fillets. Remove and thaw out only the amount you need. I buy Frozen Tilapia this way as well as turkey burgers, chicken breasts, and “naked” chicken tenders. Also, keep on hand ready-to-eat, low-fat, reduced-sodium canned soups .

Take advantage of your freezer. You may be surprised to learn that many foods freeze well, including breads, meats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. Even fresh fruit and veggies can freeze. Freezing food keeps it fresh longer and helps prevent waste. For best quality, freeze food while it's fresh. Don't wait until it's been refrigerated or left on your counter for several days.
Cook a batch and freeze single portions. For example, make a casserole or stew and freeze individual-size servings. Then take out only the amount of food you need. Be sure to write the date and contents on packages and move older packages forward as you add food to your freezer.
Prepare one-dish meals. For quick and simple cooking, choose a dish that serves as the whole meal. Look for dishes that include foods from several food groups, such as meats, whole grains, legumes and vegetables. Healthy examples include beef, barley and vegetable stew; chicken, vegetable and rice casserole; turkey and bean casserole (made with turkey breast, white beans and tomatoes); and vegetarian chili with diced vegetables and beans. I am making a breakfast casserole at 1/5 the portion size for my breakfast the next two days.
Use extras wisely. Plan meals so that you can use the extra food in new dishes. For example, cook rice as a side dish for one meal, then use the remainder in a casserole or rice pudding. Bake chicken for a meal and use the leftovers in sandwiches, soup or toss with greens, dried fruit, and nuts for a tasty salad. Or make a meatloaf mixture and bake some as a meatloaf and freeze the uncooked portion for later use in meatballs or stuffed peppers.
Hit the books. Many cookbooks are available with recipes for one or two people. Not only are cookbooks a good source for recipes, but also they can provide practical advice and helpful tips on such things as selecting healthy foods, planning menus, shopping and reading food labels.
Be creative and keep it fun. Mix things up and try a nutritious snack instead of a traditional meal when you're short on time or energy. For example, spread a brown rice cake with ricotta cheese and fresh strawberries or herbed goat cheese and sliced olives. Other snack-turned-meal ideas are corn muffins served with apple and cheese slices, or fat-free refried beans mixed with salsa, a small amount of low-fat sour cream and baked tortilla chips. Not too long ago I made mini-pizzas with my neighbor – check out that recipe for an easy and delicious single serving meal! I also posted a great steak and “steak fry” recipe that’s also filling, healthy, and fit for one (with a single serving of leftovers) or two! and below is the casserole I’m making tonight! Breakfast Casserole Ingredients: Olive Oil Cooking Spray 1 Cup Whole Grain flax bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1 tsp. Olive oil 1/2 chicken breast cooked and finely chopped 1 TBSP finely minced garlic 1 TBSP green onion chopped 1/4 cup skim milk 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper flakes 1 large egg white 1/4 cup low fat mozzarella cheese 1/2 TBSP finely chopped parsley 1 small plum tomato cut into 3 –5 slices Preheat oven to 375 and lightly mist a small casserole dish with cooking spray. Line the bottom with bread cubes in an even layer and set aside. Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat add chicken, onion, and garlic. Cook together for about five minutes. Meanwhile, add egg whites, milk, pepper flakes, half of the cheese, and parsley to a blender and pulse until combined. Pour mixture over bread and spoon chicken mixture over the top. Finish with an even layer of the tomatoes. Gently push tomatoes into mixture a bit to moisten. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cheese and bake until puffed and golden brown on top – about 40 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature. Nutrition per 4 oz. serving: Calories: 226 Fat: 7g Saturated Fat: 3g Carbs: 23g Fiber: 7g Sugars 5g Protein: 17g Sodium 483 mg Cholesterol: 34 mg

Pineapple Express Killer Kabobs

2010-12-14T22:39:00.000-08:00

Recently, I had a few special friends over for a clean eating experience. We then watched the move Pineapple Express! The menu included chicken kabobs, brown rice with lime, tropical green beans, and for dessert, yogurt with fresh berries and chocolate. The food was delicious and fresh and most important - healthy! My kids loved it too!

Here is a summary of what I made!

PINEAPPLE CHICKEN KABOBS

2 lbs. boneless chicken

2 lg. onions

24 cherry tomatoes

1 pkg. mushrooms
3 lg. peppers
1 Fresh Pinapple

Marinade:
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup soy sauce

1 or 2 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped

1/2 inch fresh ginger, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1 TBS honey

Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes. Marinate for 2-4 hours. Cut peppers, onions and mushrooms into bite size pieces. Place ingredients on kabob skewers, grill or broil until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Grill extra pineapple slices. Serve over rice.

TROPICAL GREEN BEANS
4 tb Olive oil

1 lb Fresh green beans; cleaned

6 cl Garlic; peeled and halved

1/2 ts Salt

2 tb Balsamic vinegar

1/3 c Diced sun-dried tomatoes

2 ts Toasted pine nuts

Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush a large baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Put green beans and garlic in dish, drizzle with remaining oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring beans at least 3 times. When tender, remove beans from oven and transfer to bowl. Immediately drizze with vinegar. Add tomatoes, pine nits and pepper to taste and toss.

Nutritional info per serving: 153 cal; 3g pro, 15g carb, 11g fat,

YOGURT, FRUIT, AND CHOCOLATE

2 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar

2 teaspoons Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Honey or Agave
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 cups yogurt or yogurt cheese
Dark Chocolate

Berries (I used blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries)

Instructions

Pour vinegar, oil, honey/agave and vanilla extract over fruit and let them marinate for a few minutes.

Place desired amount of yogurt or yogurt cheese in bowl and top with the fruit and the remaining balsamic mixture. Garnish with two squares of dark chocolate

Yield: 4 servings (1/2 fruit and 1/2 cup yogurt per serving)

Happy clean eating!

Eating Clean Basics

2010-11-13T22:38:00.000-08:00

Want to know the hard truth? 80% of the health equation is what you put in your mouth. 80%!
10% is genetics and 10% exercise. (Tosca Reno)

That's shocking! To put it in perspective, I recently ran about nine miles burning roughly 900 calories... It was an investment of an hour of my day and I could have more than replaced those calories with just two large pieces of Pizza Hut Meat Lovers pizza! Now I am not knocking Pizza Hut or pizza in general, you can still enjoy your favorite foods while eating clean, but making smart food choices is critical to having long and short term success. In fact, here is a GREAT pizza recipe that is clean.

I have had so many questions about the basics of eating clean so here are some really good rules of thumb from Tosca's book: The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged!
1. Eat six small meals a day - every 2.5 - 3 hours.
2. Eat breakfast every day within an hour of rising.
3. Eat a combination of lean proteins and complex carbohydrates at each meal.
4. Eat two or three healthy fats every day.
5. Drink two or three liters of water a day.
6. Carry a cooler of clean foods every day.
7. Limit starchy complex carbs to 2 - 4 a day.
8. Adhere to proper portion sizes.

Portion guidelines:
Protein - palm of your hand
Starchy Carbs - what can fit into one cupped hand
Complex Carbs from fruits and vegetables - what can fit into two cupped hands
Healthy Fats - one scant handful of nuts, 1 - 2 TBSP of oils

Happy Eating Clean!

Healthy Cooking that's KID Friendly!

2010-11-01T23:38:00.000-07:00

Eating clean with two picky eaters can often pose a challenge... I want my kids to eat healthy, but in order for me to do that effectively, I have to get creative...

The Sneaky Chef
http://www.thesneakychef.com/

I have always hidden foods in my kids every day meals - even things like boxed Macaroni and Cheese presents opportunities to add nutritional value and my kids can't tell the difference! I used to puree all my own, but I recently started buying organic baby food and using that instead.

A few years ago I discovered the book, "The Sneaky Chef" and that made it even easier for me to make my kids favorite foods and still give them as many fruits, vegetables, and other nutrients they need to be their best.
Missy Chase Lapine, the author, makes use of all the most kid friendly foods and the recipes are delicious! Blueberries and spinach in meatballs, brownies, and burgers, cauliflower in mac 'n cheese, and wheat germ in cookies. My kids get lots of fiber, fruits, veggies, and flavor!

I recently made chocolate chip cookies for some kids at the gym where I train. One batch had sweet potatoes and wheat germ, and the other one had spinach and blueberries. The kids (and adults) had no idea.

In addition to Missy's book, I also sneak vegetable substitutes in for carbohydrates. I make "mashed cauliflower" instead of mashed potatoes and spaghetti squash in stead of pasta. My kids love it topped with marinara sauce where I've hidden broccoli, spinach, carrots, and sweet potatoes. I recommend starting with a few tablespoons and working your way up to 1/4 of a cup of the concentrated fruits and vegetables. I have seen other cook books advocating the same type of idea, but Missy's truly has the most kid friendly food and the recipes are easy and delicious!

One of my favorite recipes of Missy's is her Gluten free cookies!!! (Anyone who knows me knows that chocolate chip cookies are my kryptonite!!)
1 cup GF Flour Blend
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (*substitute a trans-fat-free non-dairy margarine if dairy allergy)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup White Bean Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe #9)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (*use non-dairy chocolate chips if dairy allergy)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove butter from refrigerator to let soften.
In a large bowl, whisk together GF Flour Blend, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars until creamy. Beat in egg yolks, vanilla, and White Bean Puree. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Stir in chocolate chips.
Make small cookies by dropping heaping teaspoonful's, spaced about an inch apart, onto nonstick or parchment- lined baking sheets. Spray tops of cookies lightly with oil and flatten with the back of a spatula.
Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a metal rack.
Store cookies in airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size 1 (23g)
(Recipe makes 24 servings)
Calories: 100
Total Fat: 5.3g
Fiber: 0.6g
Total Carbohydrates: 12.3g
Sugars: 6.3g
Protein: 1.1g
Sodium: 78mg
Cholesterol: 25mg

Eating healthy can be delicious and kid friendly!

Eating Clean and Gluten Free (and organic vegan today!)

2010-10-09T23:36:00.000-07:00

The Daily Grub
20th and Pierce

Every few months some old co-workers of mine and I get together to eat lunch together and catch up. Now before I go too far, this blog has never been intended to be a site where I review restaurants, and believe me, I am not an expert so read at your own risk, but I felt like I had to post this for the locals!

Being the blandest eater in the group, I tend to be a challenge for trying new things. Kelly and Chris both like spicy and I like flavor but very little heat. Chris worked very hard to get me to commit to a fairly new, organic, and VEGAN, restaurant in town. Being on week four of gluten-free I had confidence in that part, but day ONE of being on "clean eating" I was hesitant to deviate from what I was being told to eat for today - a chicken breast on romaine and half a sweet potato. However, I hesitantly agreed to go, assuming the worst despite all of Chris's assuarances and I was blown away.

Tostada with a corn tostada shell,
pear, beans and almond crema

Menu board

The Daily Grub on 20th and Pierce is a little piece of organic, vegan heaven! I had a friendly conversation with the lady behind the counter, explaining my situation and my need for some hand holding around what to order and she recomended the gluten free tostada. There were several soups and salads that looked good, my friend Kelly ordered the hummus sandwich, and Chris ordered the black bean soup and the beet salad. The menu varies day to day and now they are serving dinners. I am definitely making this one at my house and stopping by the Daily Grub again! Sooo good. I'll be keeping everyone posted on the clean diet, but so far so good!

Keeping it going on the road...

2010-10-04T23:35:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of questions about my fitness routine and my diet and I thought I'd address a recent conversation I had with a friend of mine who travels extensively about both those things! I also travel for work from time to time and everyone likes to take a vacation. When you aren't at home there are temptations everywhere! Food is easily accessible in airports and on the run and while healthier options are out there, it's not always easy or convenient to try to stay focused on being healthy. So, how do you keep up with your routine when you aren't at home, near your gym, your kitchen and surrounded by excuses and unhealthy options??

First of all, I enjoy myself while on vacation but NOT when I am traveling for work. I have to stay disciplined and it sometimes isn't convenient but it's worth it to stay on track. When I do lighten my restrictions on vacation, I eat foods I like but in moderation. I also don't abandon my workouts, even on vacation or let the traveling interrupt what I want to accomplish for the day. You don't need a gym to lift weights. Crunches, sit-ups, body weight squats, lunges, and other body weight exercises are easy to do, even in a hotel room and a little planning ahead can make runs an easy option even in an unfamiliar city. If you belong to a chain gym, oftentimes you can even go to that gym in the city you are traveling too. Do some research!

The Hilton gym in Crystal City

When I travel for work, I deliberately find places that are workout friendly or located near running trails for my training. I recently stayed at Hilton which is known as a franchise for having gyms and catering to people who work out. They have a great gym and I was able to do my strength training and hit up a treadmill for a few miles. Food wise, there are always healthy options! As co-workers and friends have seen, I don't often order directly off a menu. I ask for specific items that they can make for me that accommodate the gluten-free AND healthy requirements I have. My food tastes are pretty easy and I don't mind keeping it simple when I am out to eat. I generally order a plain chicken breast (about any restaurant has that) a vegetable (broccoli is my favorite) and a fruit for a side. It's easy and delicious and HEALTHY!

Chicken breast, veggies, & fruit dinner

Breakfasts I do egg white scrambles with as many veggies they have, fresh fruits, or even oatmeal with berries or bananas! It keeps me both gluten free and low in fat and calories but very filling!

I also am lucky to travel to DC quite frequently for work and there is always a place to run in DC! DC is a very fit city so there are always a lot of bikers and runners out and plenty of routes can be found using online resources like http://www.mapmyrun.com/. Bringing my Garming (my favorite accessory) makes it easy to run to a distance or for time even when I'm not 100% familiar of a route.

The Mall

Washington Monument

In DC, I love running along the Potomac and also running around the monuments. It's a gorgeous place to run. There is nothing like watching the sunset over the mall on a clear evening or seeing the Washington Monument all lit up at night.

My girls and I go to Florida every year on vacation with our family and running on the beach is my absolute favorite thing to do! It's a great workout running on the sand and the view is gorgeous. Last February when I was there, I would run once a day and walk the beach at night or in the morning. The sound of the water and the smell of the salty air made it an incredible experience! I even spotted dolphins a couple times out!

Siesta Key, Florida

The point is, traveling - either for business or pleasure can easily accommodate your training schedule and also spice up your routine with new locations, routes, and even cross-training opportunities.